Inescapable
by Fae-Hime
Summary: "Everyone deserves to be saved..." A tale of resolution between enemies, allies, times and fates. After the Jewel vanishes without a wish being made, Kagome and her companions must discover the truth about forgiveness, love and destiny in order to heal the past and save the future. CHAPTER 1-17 UNDER REVISION ((NEW CHAPTER ONE IS UP!)) Updates every other Friday
1. Unnecessary

**Inescapable**

by**FaeHime**

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**Chapter 1: Unnecessary**

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"_No!_"

The miko threw herself at the back of the oni, effectively distracting it from completing its attack against the distracted demon lord. Her muscles screaming in protest, Kagome pulled herself up enough to dig her fingers into the beast's eyes, eliciting a painful roar as it swung its arms wildly in an attempt to grasp hold of her.

Kagome's throat caught on a scream as she felt her insides tug against a pressure that lifted her weight from the oni's back and sent her flying to the hard packed earth. She slammed into the ground, feeling her shoulder crack and the exposed skin of her legs and face being scuffed off as she tumbled to rest on her side in the middle of the clearing. Coming to a stop, the young woman closed her eyes against the pain radiating throughout her body.

'_Damn..._' she thought to herself dryly. '_I hate it when InuYasha is right._'

_~Earlier That Morning...~_

"Hey, Kagome!"

InuYasha's voice had the miko looking up from where she knelt amongst the rabble from her backpack. Notebooks, texts, and other school supplies were strewn around her haphazardly, overlapping and piled into categories only she could decipher.

'_In theory that is_,' Kagome thought with a frown. '_But where did I put that list?_'

A short glare at the rabble was the only indication that her thoughts weren't completely on her friend. Shaking off her irritation for the moment, she turned back to the boy looming over her with a perturbed look on his face and smiled apologetically.

"Sorry, InuYasha, I'm having trouble finding the one paper I need for this assignment," she explained with a vague gesture to the mess she had created. The hanyou snorted, picking up on of her folders and leafing through it disinterestedly. Every time she had a major project that required her to work during her time in the past, he always seemed to grow more surly than usual until she was finished.

"Did you need something?" she asked when he made no move to continue or leave her to her work.

"I'm just wondering why you keep trying so hard with this school stuff," he muttered, still flipping through her papers with an unimpressed scowl.

With a patient sigh, Kagome responded to the age-old argument, "Because, when we finally get rid of the Jewel and take care of Naraku, I want to have options for my future. There's not a lot of demand for miko archers in my time, you know!"

Standing, she reached for the folder on his hand, a self-deprecating smile on her mouth. While she had checked this folder several times already, she figured it couldn't hurt to look again. Besides, the hanyou had a habit of destroying things she needed, and she couldn't afford to redo all the research she'd accumulated in this folder. So focused on her search for the errant list she needed, Kagome was startled out of her thoughts when InuYasha's next softly spoken question reached her.

"But what if your future is** here**... with _us_?"

Her eyes flashed to meet his, but her friends normally vibrant orbs were avoiding hers, his bangs acting as a barrier between them. It was hen that the young woman noticed that Sango, Miroku and Shippo were all watching their conversation intently. Kagome swallowed heavily, her heart aching with a plethora of emotions.

This question had been on the tips of everyone's tongues for some time, and Kagome honestly didn't _know_ how to answer. It wasn't that she didn't want to stay here in the Feudal Era, because that couldn't be further from the truth. Looking around at her friends, the miko didn't want to imagine life without them. However, she didn't want to imagine her world without her family either. In the end, Kagome didn't think she could choose between her family and her friends.

"I just... want to be prepared if it isn't," she finally answered, the whispered admission falling into the heavy silence.

Glancing around, she was happy to see the understanding on Sango and Miroku's faces. Shippo looked about as happy as InuYasha seemed, but even he sent her an encouraging smile. Turning back to her long-time friend, she wished fo the millionth time that everything didn't have to be so difficult. Still refusing to look at her, InuYasha snorted rudely before turning away and hopping into a nearby tree, leaving her he folder he'd held captive. Sighing morosely, Kagome opened it only to discover the missing list sitting right on top of the other paperwork.

'_Of course,_' the young woman groused to herself, tucking it carefully into her packet and grabbing her camera from her bag.

She'd been taking an hour or two each day to wander the area around where they stopped for lunch to search for the plant life on her list. It was a bit bothersome, as it slowed them down substantially, but it was still quicker than trying to find the species back in her own time, so their hanyou leader had few complaints.

"I'll be back in a little while guys!" she called, heading out of their clearing with determination.

"I still say it's a waste of time," she heard from the tree at her back, and a small smile graced her lips at the brash friend's stubbornness.

_~Present...~_

Looking back, Kagome couldn't help but agree with the hanyou for once. While she valued her education, and didn't want to end up as a burden on her family if she ended up stuck in the future, it didn't seem so important now. She could understand how InuYasha would feel her education was a waste of time as she laid there bleeding.

Distracted by her own sullen thoughts regarding her future, Kagome had inadvertantly wandered frther from the group than usual. By the time she noticed her surrooundings, she'd traded one distraction for another when the sounds of battle reached her. Curiosity getting the better of her, the young woman had hurried towards the sounds, determined to help if someone was in trouble.

And then she'd stumbled upon InuYasha's older half-brother being attacked by a trio of Oni.

'_Why didn't I just walk away?_'

Facing away from the battle now, Kagome surmised from the sudden silence behind her that the moment taken to dispose of her presence had cost the oni its life. Letting out a stuttering sigh of relief, Kagome closed her eyes against the sickening warmth she felt spreading beneath her form. It was only when she felt a hand turning her slightly that she fixed her glassy gaze upon the face of the intended victim of the oni.

"Konni… chiwa… Se- Sesshoumaru…"

Eyes the color of whey looked over the injuries adorning the body of the small woman that lay before him. He had heard her shoulder crack, when she had hit, and took a passing note of the scratches, scraps and other various shallow wounds gained from her flight across the forest floor. What caught his notice though was the dark, wet appearance of the ground beneath the miko that was slowly getting larger.

Sesshoumaru carefully reached out, lifting her arm from where it was laying across her stomache, and nearly flinched at the four puncture wounds he found sluggishly pulsing with her life's blood. Carefully inspecting them, he came to the conclusion that the oni must have speared the girl through the back with its claws, punching straight through to the front of her soft belly. Looking again at her face, he saw how pale and clammy the girl had become, how shallow her breathing was.

Kagome watched as he kneeled over her, silently figuring out what she could already feel: she was going to die.

Just as she was getting ready to close her eyes again against the brutal pain, his soft admonishment caused her eyes to snap back to focus.

"That, miko, was entirely _unnecessary_. This Sesshoumaru would have barely suffered any damage in the attack, all which would have healed within a few short moments. Why would you do something so foolish?" he intoned, sounding harsh in the face of her sacrifice.

Dark eyebrows creased together, before a small smile found its way across her pale and bloody lips.

"Because, my lord… _everyone_… deserves to have someone covering their backs- whether they need it or not." her voice was faint and forced against the labored and unsteady beating of her heart. Wincing in agony as she felt the last of her life bubbling from her wounds, Kagome's body stiffened weakly, her face contorted for but a moment before all of her muscles relaxed and the air left her lungs in a delicate huff.

The demon lord blinked slowly as he stood, his gaze passing to across the clearing, where the bodies of two oni lay festering in the noon heat. He shifted his sights back upon the body before him, knowing that though her actions had indeed been unnecessary, her subsequent death was even more so, as she had only been acting the part of an ally, albeit a weak one.

A sharp ring shattered the silence of the clearing, as the heir of Tensaiga pulled it free, ready to repay his debt to the Shikon Miko Kagome.

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**A/N: **_Woot! Here is the first Chapter re-write/ expansion/ update for the new year! Next will be Chapter 2 and so on and so forth until the first 17 or so Chapters matches the second half of the story, at which time I'll post chapter 27 XD_

_For the nex update schedule please visit my profile! Everyone let me know what you think of the extended chapter! XD_


	2. Essential

A gasp of air wrenched itself through Kagome's body, searing lungs that had only moments before been filled with blood. Her eyes were wide, but unseeing as her soul took to the task of bringing her back to life. Kagome felt her slender frame trembling as warmth crept back into her limbs and her mind tried to collect itself.

The first thing she registered was the sound of a sword being sheathed somewhere above her, along with the sharp tang of blood on her tongue, in her nostrils. Wincing, she rolled over to her back and pushed herself up on her elbows, trying to recall what had happened.

"My debt is repaid, miko."

That smooth, familiar baritone triggered the memories, and Kagome's eyes flashed to where the oni lay, the bodies already being ravaged by carrion birds. Pale, her eyes then found the demon responsible for the scent of death littering the clearing... as well as the heat of life coursing her veins.

"Sesshoumaru," she breathed, her soft tones easily reaching his ears as he turned to leave.

"Thank you."

At her whispered gratitude, the youkai paused. Glancing at her over his shoulder, he silently considered the strange female. In the distance, he could hear the frantic approach of his brother and her group closing in rapidly.

Turning back towards the forest, Sesshomaru responded, "Your gratitude is irrelevant to the matter. Your life, however, is... essential."

He had been gone for mere moments before Kagome was surrounded by her worried friends, all of them asking what had happened.

Smiling in reassurance, Kagome looked to where Sesshomaru had gone and uttered a single word.

_"Change."_


	3. Undeniably

Staring at the small girl playing with Shippo, Kagome pursed her lips in thought. Rin had been with the group for close to a year now, since the Shikon no Tama had mysteriously vanished. _'Vanished'_ Kagome thought to herself with a touch of melancholy. _'And without it...'_ resting her chin in her hand, Kagome let her mind drift back...

Sesshomaru had been fighting alongside InuYasha against Naraku. In the midst of the battle, Kagome had managed to get hold of the completed jewel and purify its darkness. She'd had no time to make a wish however before the jewel pulsed, creating a shock wave of energy that had everyone turning to her.

Before she could gather her thoughts, the Jewel rose from her grasp and hovered above the field, shining with a radiant light that bathed the clearing below. As everyone watched, the jewel was surrounded by a glittering fog that then collapsed in on itself, leaving nothing behind but a shocked silence. Kagome felt the tug that had always been present in her soul fade to nothing as a disembodied voice whispered through the minds of all present.

_Time must heal all for_

_the Jewel can heal none._

_Unbound to its passage_

_Their Fate has begun_

_Past hearts now present_

_the future must mend_

_From Life when it started,_

_in Death must this end..._

Naraku was the first to recover from the ominous words by gathering his minions to himself as he released a wave of miasma towards the inu brothers. Without the jewel, there was no advantage to staying, so he would regroup and consider how to deal with this new development. InuYasha used the Wind Scar to repel the miasma as the rest of the group came rushing over. Looking around at the devastation of what they had presumed would be the final battle against Naraku, Kagome felt her heart clench. No one said a word as they made their way back towards the village, to inform Kaede of what had happened, and discuss what to do next.

**"Sesshomaru-sama!"**

Rin's squeal of delight brought Kagome back to the present with a start. Looking towards the child, the miko smiled at the figure she made running excitedly towards the demon lord who was her hero. While she stayed with InuYasha's group so that she was better cared for and had more chances to be a child, Sesshomaru was still a constant for Rin, for which Kagome respected him. Shippo walked over to her from the clearing where Rin had abandoned their game, and Kagome pulled the small kit into her lap. Silently observing his friend chatting with the stoic demon, Shippo asked after a moment, "He really loves her, doesn't he?"

Kagome grinned, looking down into his leaf bright eyes.

"Undeniably."


	4. Unavoidable

Cinnamon eyes looked at the retreating figure of her friend with warmth. While everyone else was asleep, InuYasha was taking the opportunity to go speak with Kikyo- with her blessing of course. Kagome wasn't foolish- while their past was tragic, Kikyo and InuYasha's love for each other was true, despite the uncertainties that had clouded their hearts before. Checking to make certain her barrier was holding steady, Kagome huffed softly.

That seemed to be what everyone fixated on- everything that had been flawed about their relationship. It really wasn't fair to either of them, as they both had reasons to be mistrustful. Precedent had taught them both that happiness was not to be theirs individually, and the hope of a future together had been a terrifying thought, because it was unknown. '_Sure,_' Kagome thought to herself. '_They were both probably waiting for the fall, expecting it... so when it happened..._'

Biting her lip, the miko looked to where she knew her friends to be sleeping, a sad smile playing on her lips at how Miroku and Sango always slept facing each other. She knew that they were all far too accustomed to betrayal and loss. It was an unavoidable truth, and one that she knew had been easier to accept for the star-crossed lover's than trust. At least now, after so long, they might have another chance.

With that thought in mind, Kagome stretched and leaned back against the tree behind her. Rolling her shoulders, her eyes sought out the faint glow of Kikyo's soul stealers. Despite the fact that they had discussed it with her multiple times, Kikyo still refused to travel with the group. The group had spoken with her about it at length, yet Kikyo had politely demurred, stating that for the time being it was more beneficial for her to seek her own path towards Naraku's end.

A yawn pulled Kagome back to the present, and how tired she was feeling. She was about to get up to walk around when the sound of leaves crunching caught her attention. Turning, she saw a swath of red caught by the dim light of the embers.

"I'm back, wench," a gruff voice whispered, belied by a smile of affection. The spoke for a time of how Kikyo was doing, and if she had heard any news of Naraku. The conversation was punctuated often with soft giggles, light teasing and flushed cheeks. By the time the moon had reached its zenith, Kagome's lids felt like woolen weights, but she was glad to spend some time with her friend alone. These moments of light in the darkness were precious to the hanyou and human girl, and while neither wanted them to end, the call of sleep was also unavoidable. Covering a yawn, she winked at InuYasha and crawled into her sleeping bag as the hanyou took his position in the trees above the group.


	5. Immutable

_"Your life, however, is... __**essential**__."_

Sesshomaru thought over what he had said to the human that traveled with his half-brother. He had been following parallel to the group since that incident months ago, and it had nothing to do with the fact that his ward was now a part of that group. Eclipsed eyes pierced through the darkness of the forest to focus on the little onna that was currently the focus of his thoughts.

Sesshomaru knew that she was somehow the key to all the riddles. Since her arrival in the feudal era, everything had begun to change... including him. Arrogant though he may be, the taiyoukai was no fool. He knew that it was this one woman's influence that had brought them all to this present moment. Kagome was...

'Essential.' Sesshomaru thought to himself again as he continued his vigil. He had watched his brother leave to go speak with the undead miko known as Kikyo. Initially, when his brother had run off to her, leaving Kagome alone, Sesshomaru had thought him a fool. But over time, and after overhearing several conversations between the living miko and his baka sibling, Sesshomaru had come to understand the difficulty InuYasha faced.

Along with that understanding had come the realization that without Kagome, nothing would end. This young woman's very existence in their world created change, and he knew that it was she alone that could heal all the wounds that had been created by the Shikon no Tama. The day the jewel had disappeared, his suspicions had been confirmed.

The Shikon Miko was from the future, and the only individual unbound by the passage of time. While others could only move forward in time, she had traveled back along the paths it had left, and it was therefore her task to mend the damage that had been caused.

'Strange, that this one human is the cause of so much change in the short time she's been here- yet has not changed herself,' the Lord thought quietly. 'Not really. Despite all the battles she been in, all the death and darkness she's witnessed, she can still smile.'

As her hanyou companion returned to camp and they finally laid down to rest, Sesshomaru silently wondered at her resting figure, and the immutable purity of her soul.


	6. Irresistable

_Kagome felt herself tumbling across the forest floor, stones and debris biting deeply into her delicate skin as a searing pain ripped through her center. Before she had time to wonder whether or not she was going to die, she heard the familiar swish of the Tensegia. Sitting up, spiced eyes watched as her blood receded from the pool it had formed and crawled back into her veins as if in fast-forward. _

Every night, Kagome dreamed of dieing from an Oni's claw and being revived by a demon's fang. Every night since that day months ago, Kagome dreamed of Sesshomaru. And without fail, every night, she woke up the moment she said his name. Skin tingling, Kagome looked up into now familiar star-kissed eyes, a murmur slipping past her lips.

"Sesshomaru..."

A moment passed, and Kagome realized that tonight the spell had not broken. She was still dreaming as her dream-scape rippled, cresting around the figure of Sesshomaru before her, who had become blurry, as though she was seeing him through a haze. In another moment, it was no longer Sesshomaru.

As the dream-scape settled back into place, Kagome noted that she was no longer in the forest glade from her memories. Instead of woods, there was nothing but dense gray fog wisping around her body. Before her was a shadow that seemed to fold in upon itself, shrinking and stretching. When it dove at her, Kagome ducked against the ground with a cry of irritation.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Whipping around, she found herself face to face with the glowing silver eyes, set into the head of a large crow. Looking it over, Kagome noted not only its larger than average size, but also its additional leg.

With a piercing cry, the creature launched itself from the branch upon which it had sat, stirring the veils of mist with every powerful flap of its wings. Kagome stood as the crow circled her several times, the gusts of wind it created clearing the area around her for several feet. Just as a tinge of familiarity began to niggle at the back of her mind, Kagome's attention was drawn by the crow breaking away to shoot through the dense mists with another loud caw.

The violence of his flight cleaved a path through the concealing fog that did not re-close, and Kagome felt herself drawn to the distant point where the crow seemed to be waiting. Somewhere in her soul, she knew this three-legged crow was leading her to something important. The need to follow this dream-creature, to find out what it wanted her to see was irresistible. Taking a step forward, Kagome stepped on a dry branch and was startled as it snapped loudly underfoot.

Blinking her eyes, Kagome looked up only to realize that she was staring into the fire from her sleeping bag. Another log snapped loudly into the early morning silence as Kagome rubbed at one of her eyes while pushing herself into a sitting position. Looking about at the forms of her sleeping friends, Kagome frowned slightly.

'_What a weird dream..._'

Naraku snarled into the emptiness of the cave he was currently occupying. It was gone. The jewel that had started all of this had simply vanished, and he now had no way to fulfill his goals. He had been venting his anger for months now, the uncontrollable rage flowing through his veins unwilling to abate as the truth became more and more apparent- the Jewel was gone for good.

'_Foolish hanyou..._' The condescending chuckle had Naraku whipping around, his miasma already pooling about his form in reaction to whatever threat had presented itself. The room, however, remained empty beyond the shadows cast from his own form.

'Perhaps the human in you needs something more substantial...' The dark voice whispered humorlessly. Naraku's miasma began to move as though being blown about by wind, yet the air around him remained stale and still. Twisting and undulating, the miasma now stood three feet from him, a form within it staring at him with violet eyes. When it spoke again, the voice now boomed throughout the room, reverberating deep within the dark hanyou's bones.

"Naraku, the pathetic legacy of Onigumo's love for a mortal woman... we meet at last." The violet eyes glinted brightly as Naraku's rage burned more fiercely with the insults laid upon him. "I am Magatsuhi... **Demon of the Shikon Jewel**."

Naraku's rage eased at the revelation. A disingenuous smile twisted his lips. "So," he mocked, "Were you expelled from the Jewel when the priestess Kagome purified it from existence?"

"This is why you are so foolish, Naraku. The Jewel may have been purified, thus expelling me from the confines... but it has not been destroyed. I come offering my aide, though you are undeserving of such."

The miasma form moved suddenly, enveloping Naraku's body completely. Naraku felt his body seize with pain as Magatsuhi began to rip his way inside his very soul. As he faded into the back of his own mind, Naraku heard Magatsuhi's dark promise.

"Together we will corrupt the Jewel... and kill the priestess Kagome..."


	7. Imperceptible

Sesshomaru felt the silence on the forest coming at him mere moments before the sounds of nature quieted in response to the encroaching darkness. He had been waiting for his brother's group to arrive so that he could visit his ward and see what news they might have come across.

Now, as he inhaled the putrid stench of death and poison, Sesshomaru waited for the arrival of Naraku and whatever malicious machinations he would bring.

Standing, the demon lord looked across the field of flowers at the edge of his resting place to see the familiar sight of a baboon-cloaked figure. Something was different though, and it took Sesshomaru a moment to realize what the other presence he felt was.

"You sense it, don't you Sesshomaru?" The change in Naraku's voice and attitude was imperceptible, even to the inuyoukai's advanced hearing. Naraku's dark announcement rang through the silence between them with satisfaction.

"The Jewel is near at hand... _and corrupt once more_."

Sesshomaru's tactical mind was running through the options available at lightning speed. Despite the evident dangers, his choices all required that he engaged and subdue the evil hanyou immediately, until his brother's group and Kagome could arrive to deal with the Jewel.

"Jaken." The green toad had been cowering behind a tree for some time now, unwilling to break the silence between the two powerful beings facing off. At his Lord's summons, he immediately bowed deeply. Before he could ask his Lord's will however, Sesshomaru uttered a single order.

"Find InuYasha's group and bring them here with haste."

Then Sesshomaru was gone, slicing through the field and straight into Naraku's trap. The last thing Jaken saw before running as fast as he could in search of InuYasha's group was the sight of his Lord disappearing behind a barrier of deep violet.


	8. Inconsistent

Sesshomaru's eye's darted around him as he did his best to locate the dark hanyou. He had felt the barrier slide across his flesh as the image of Naraku had vanished, along with his scent and the presence of the Jewel.

"So easily deceived, just as your father was, _Lord_ Sesshomaru." The laughing voice seemed to be coming from every direction, and Sesshomaru realized that his other senses would be of little use, as there seemed to be no scents in this area.

"I simply threw a stick and you chased it, running headlong to your defeat. Tell me, dog demon... if the Jewel is the stick, who would you bring it back to once it was properly fetched?"

An image wavered at the edges of his vision and Sesshomaru moved to slice it with his sword as the mocking voice continued.

_"Who is your master?"_

Hot blood sprayed across his face as Sesshomaru's sword bit deeply into the flesh of the tiny priestess. Brown eyes, filled with shock and betrayal, held his own moon-kissed gaze as white lips soundlessly formed his name. It wasn't until her scent overwhelmed him that Sesshomaru began to doubt whether the girl was an illusion or real.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin's accusatory cry, mingled with her own scent of raspberries and peonies had Sesshomaru withdrawing his blade from Kagome's body in horror. Had he really been tricked so easily? The inuyoukai caught Kagome as she collapsed from her injury, blood staining her pale skin as her eyes grew cold and empty.

"Is this priestess your Master, the way Kikyo was your brother's? ...the way Midoriko was mine?" Sesshomaru barely avoided being impaled by the tentacle that had once been Kagome's hand. Jumping back, he watched as her features melted into those of Midoriko.

"This Sesshomaru has no Master. The priestess Kagome is the rightful protectorate of the Jewel, and the only one who can assure its destruction. As such, I will protect her from harm." Sesshomaru caught the flash of violet light behind Midoriko's eyes. Resheathing his sword with a glare, a growl vibrated throughout his body.

"You are not Naraku. Reveal yourself to me demon!" Sesshomaru snarled, incited to fury at the knowledge and the illusions. The form of Midoriko merely smiled with malice.

"Kagome will die today at the hands of a hanyou, as I did." Sesshomaru swiped angrily at the form of Midoriko, but his claws only displaced smoke as she faded. The voice of Kikyo came from behind him, the sound lifeless and empty.

"Kagome will die for caring about a dog demon, as I did." The form dissolved as Sesshomaru's poison whip sliced across the glade. Kagome's voice sang out from behind him. Turning, Sesshomaru immediately noticed the violet glow of the apparition's eyes, so inconsistent against the features of her face.

"I will die protecting you _again_, Sesshomaru. And this time..." Sesshomaru again unsheathed his sword, following through with a slice at the one who stood in front of him, but not before she'd had a chance to whisper her final ominous words.

_**"...you won't be able to save me."**_


	9. Duplicitous

"**_We're coming my Lord Sesshomaru!_**" Jaken's screeching voice egged the group forward, heading toward both Sesshomaru and the ominous pulse of the Shikon no Tama. Kagome had felt the return of the jewel only moments before Jaken had burst out of the woods in front of them, demanding that they rush to his lord's aide,_not-that-his-lord-needed-any-aide-from-such-weaklings_.

Kagome clutched at her chest as another spike from the jewel ghosted throughout her soul. Something about the entire situation wasn't right, and Kagome could feel it in her bones.

'_The last time we saw the Jewel, it was completely purified. What could have happened?_' Kagome frowned as another dark pulse rippled through her. The group was fast approaching the violet barrier Jaken had told them about.

'_We're almost there, Sesshomaru._'

Her mind flashed back to that day with the oni. She could still see the pure curiosity in the inuyoukai's eyes as he informed her how unnecessary her actions had been. A wry smile pulled at Kagome's full lips as she recalled how her response had caused Sesshomaru's eyebrow to twitch upward ever so slightly. '_Well, here I go again._'

Kagome was riding on a transformed Shippo, who was doing his best to keep up with InuYasha, who, along with Sango and Miroku on Kirara, were leading the group. Beside her were Rin and Jaken, who were riding on Ah-Un. Maple-colored eyes flashed with worry at the thought of the children racing towards a known trap with them, but it was far too dangerous to leave them behind with Naraku and the Jewel in the vicinity.

At InuYasha's shout, Kagome's attention was pulled from her concerns to the malevolent, violet barrier looming ahead. The brash hanyou didn't hesitate, unsheathing Tetsaiga in a fluid motion as he ran headlong at the barrier, readying himself to shatter the obstacle between them and their enemy. Before he could swing however, the surface of the barrier rippled and seemed to evaporate in a haze.

The scene revealed pulled the group to a crashing halt.

Sesshomaru was charging Naraku, a feral expression on his face, claws dripping with his cloyingly sweet smelling poison. Naraku simply stood there, a malicious smile twisting his handsome features into a frightening countenance. Kagome's eyes were drawn by the dark sheen of the Shikon no Tama hanging against the evil hanyou's breast plate. Another pulse needled against her, and Kagome frowned. The feeling had **not** come from the tainted Jewel dangling from Naraku's throat, but from...

Her eyes shot to Naraku's face, startled to realize he was looking at her and not the oncoming youkai lord. His blood red orbs held her gaze for a fraction of a second, and as Sesshomaru's claws swept for his neck she saw them flash the same violet color as the barrier had been. Before she could process what any of it could possibly mean, the young miko was petrified by the sound of Naraku's tentacles pushing through Sesshomaru's stomach.

'_No..._'

The clearing fell silent, everyone frozen in disbelief as Sesshomaru's eyes went blank, his body lifted into the air by Naraku's violating appendage. The youkai lord turned his head at the sudden rasp of breath from Kagome, and the young woman watched in horror as his eyes lit with recognition just as Naraku hurled his body to the ground some distance away. The sound of his body smashing into the forest floor propelled the group forward, InuYasha snarling as he flew at the murderous hanyou.

Kagome jumped from Shippo, landing roughly as the kitsune popped back to his normal form. Pushing herself to her feet, Kagome hastily grabbed her adopted son and placed him on Ah-Un with Rin. Directing her gaze to Jaken, she whispered forcefully, "**Protect them.**"

The toad youkai only nodded, sickly yellowish in his fear for his lord. Kagome never even saw his assent, as she quickly sprinted for the fallen Sesshomaru, praying to the kami that she wasn't too late. She did her best to ignore the sounds of battle coming from the direction her friends had taken, rushing the last bit of distance separating her from the wounded youkai, too worried about him to focus on the false Shikon. Too worried to even notice the aura approaching from the northern edge of the small clearing.

Reaching him, Kagome dropped to her knees, leaning over Sesshomaru's form to carefully take inventory of his injuries. The demon lord's breast plate had been shattered, and his kimono was a vibrant red from blood loss. Running the back of her hand against his pale, striped cheek, Kagome called softly, "Sesshomaru? Sesshomaru, wake up. Can you hear me?"

Brown eyes lit with hope when a soft grunt left Sesshomaru's lips as his eyes cracked open, trying to focus on her. Relief washed through her even as fear continued to coil in the pit of her stomach. Pulling her bag off her shoulders, Kagome directed him, "Just lie still while I try to stop some of the bleeding, okay?"

Focusing on her task, Kagome missed the flash of violet where there should have been feverish golden orbs. So intent was she, Kagome was startled to hear Sesshomaru snarling her name... _**from across the field**_.

Looking up, Kagome felt herself go cold as she saw Sesshomaru, whole and hale, rushing towards her with Bakusaiga drawn and fangs bared. At the same time, she felt another dark pulse, this one so strong it felt like razor blades singing across her nerves, and in that moment she understood how duplicitous Naraku had become. Crying out in pain, Kagome collapsed to her side as a dense fog enveloped the field, separating her from her friends. The last thing the young woman heard before Sesshomaru was completely obscured from view was him calling out her name.


	10. Apprehension

Sesshomaru snarled as yet another puppet of Kagome shredded beneath his claws. He had felt the barrier dissipate shortly after feeling the approach of his brother's group, yet the moment he had gone towards them the inuyoukai lord had been assaulted by a barrage of Naraku's puppets, all in the form of the brash girl that followed his brother around. All of them staring through him accusingly as blood dripped from their eyes in macabre tears.

The taiyoukai would never admit it, but apprehension was clawing through him with each moment he wasted disposing of the aberrations. He was almost positive now that the Shikon Jewel was not there, meaning the only true danger was to the miko currently rushing here at _his_ behest. Sesshomaru snarled at his own foolishness as he tore through yet another puppet, not even bothering to look at it for the damning truth he would find in its eyes.

Because if she was hurt, _he_ would be responsible.

'_Almost there._' The heard the sounds of battle directly ahead of him, but was alarmed to fell the miko's aura being pulled in another direction. With a burst of speed, Sesshomaru redirected toward the feel of Kagome's purity, intent on reaching her before Naraku. It was only as he finally emerged into the clearing that the inuyoukai felt his apprehension snap into full blown panic.

For looking straight at him was an image of himself, bleeding out and being tended by the young woman who was oblivious to the deception. With a snarl he unsheathed Bakusaiga, flying toward Kagome while pushing his youki toward her to alert her to the danger. As she turned to look at him, the fake Sesshomaru's eyes locked with his own, eyes turning a malevolent violet as a voice whispered through his mind, '_Fetch, Sesshomaru-sama._'

Eyes bleeding red, Sesshomaru looked up and locked eyes with Kagome, and the realization dawning in her mahogany eyes made his chest tighten with something savagely undefined. He felt the barrier reforming as the unnatural fog descended, blocking the three of them from the group battling with Naraku's puppet. At the same time, Kagome screamed in pain, collapsing to her side as the guise melted from Naraku as he moved to stand over her gloatingly.

Willing himself to go faster, to make it to her before the fog separated them, Sesshomaru caught her pain-filled gaze with his own desperately enraged orbs. His voice roared out across the clearing as she vanished from his sight.

"_**KAGOME!**_"


	11. Unwittingly

Kagome pushed herself up and away, legs trembling as waves of pain crashed through her aura from the being across from her. Stretching her aura out, Kagome realized that she was completely cut off from her friends, and on her own. Determination set, the miko steeled herself as the guise of Sesshomaru melted away to reveal Naraku staring at her malevolently.

Neither one of them moved or said anything for tense period of time. Kagome ignored the agony tearing through her soul as she studied the hanyou before her, trying to pinpoint the difference in him that had led her unwittingly into this predicament. Her voice, when it finally broke the silence between them, was filled with certainty.

"You're not Naraku."

InuYasha snarled as yet another tentacle smashed into the ground near him, and let loose the wind scar with a frustrated swing of the Tetsutsaiga. Miroku and Kirara were guarding Sango, who had been blindsided with her own Hiraikotsu trying to avoid one of the many appendages attempting to smother them.

Naraku cackled as he released a large amount of miasma towards the humans, diverting InuYasha's attentions from offense to defense. Landing in front of his pack, the inu hanyou released another wind scar, doing his best to ward of the poisonous gas in the confined space.

The small group had been unaware of the fog separating them from the children and Kagome until the last moment. From what they could tell, Rin and Shippo had managed to stay outside of the barrier, but Kagome had been rushing towards the fallen Sesshomaru. Something about the whole scenario didn't add up to InuYasha.

"InuYasha, stand aside my friend." Miroku stepped up beside him as he lowered his sword, watching as the monk erected a barrier with his staff. The miasma that had been steadily rushing back for them smashed and broke against the barrier in a dark tide. Hearing a soft grunt, InuYasha turned to see Sango leaning heavily against Kirara, one hand to her side.

"We need to get to Kagome. Something tells me the real Lord Sesshomaru wouldn't have fallen that easily." Sango voiced the exact thing her friend had just been thinking.

"Whaddya think I'm trying to do? Even I know that frosty bastard wouldn't allow some scumbag like Naraku touch him!" The hanyou's thoughts were racing as he tried to figure out what to do. Without the barrier, the humans would be obliterated by the miasma, but with it he couldn't get to Naraku. Miroku was already sweating under the strain of holding up the barrier, and InuYasha was running out of time.

A bright burst of light scattered the fog behind them, and torrents of miasma were purified as the arrow stuck home into the puppet. With a resounding crack, the doll shattered and the illusion around them dissipated, along with the rest of the miasma. They were still surrounded by the suffocating fog however. Turning, the group was greeted by Kikyo's calm gaze. Her deadly calm words however, filled the group with cold dread.

"Magatsuhi, the demon of the Shikon, has Kagome."


	12. Urgency

He hadn't made it.

Kagome had been right there, and he had... _failed_. A feral growl tore between clench fangs, a sound of denial in response to his thoughts. Sesshomaru kept moving forward, intent on rectifying such foolish thoughts.

_'This Sesshomaru fails at __**nothing**__!'_

Molten eyes flashed with turbulent emotions, all overshadowed by confusion. Sesshomaru had not felt a sense of urgency such as this since he had nearly lost Rin to his own arrogance. Yet this was somehow different, laced with its own tang of bitter realization. He knew he respected the miko who traveled with his brother, for her courage and loyalty to her allies, as well as her compassion to complete strangers. He had been impressed with her intelligence and then confused by her lack of common sense and self-preservation skills.

And her _purity_.

Her kindness and intrinsic unconditional love for the world around her, even her astounding capacity to forgive others, was a soothing balm, even for a daiyoukai. Apart from the prophecy, apart from her purpose in this world, this woman deserved to be protected.

_Would_ be protected, if he had anything to say about it.

_**"What's the hurry, Sesshomaru?"**_

The silver-haired inu didn't break stride or deign to respond to Magatsuhi's mocking voice or the laughter that followed. The fog ahead of him was beginning to clear, and he braced himself for whatever the demon had planned for him. He had been running in the direction he had last seen Kagome for 20 minutes with no luck, and the knot in his chest twisted deeper with each passing moment.

_**"Will you admit your failure only once you've seen it?"**_

And with that, the fog had lifted to reveal the clearing from earlier, only greatly changed. Now smoke and scorch marks from purification energy and miasma scarred the ground. In the middle of the field was Kagome, braced underneath a soft pink barrier that even now was fracturing under the barrage from Naraku. Sesshomaru moved forward, not sure whether or not this was an illusion but unwilling to take a chance with Kagome's life at risk.

_**"So stubborn... perhaps you need to hear her announce your inefficacy for the world to hear?" **_

Sesshomaru's blood ran cold as Naraku glanced his way, his once red eyes glowing violet with delight. Without turning back to the miko, he laughed malevolently, "Look who came to save you _Ka-go-me_."

The daiyoukai willed her not to look, to not break her concentration for just a few more seconds, but his silent wishes were in vain. Even as he put on a burst of speed in a frantic attempt to reach her in time once more, he saw her eyes turn to meet his. Watched the tentative hope bloom behind the desperation within the caramel depths. Despaired as her distraction and exhaustion shattered her only protection; as the fragile barrier gave way beneath Naraku's tentacles.

Topaz eyes narrowed in fury as one of those tentacles dug into her shoulder, ripping through flesh, muscle and bone to breach the other side, blood saturating the ground as he pinned her down.

And he was helpless against the pain that flashed through him as her piercing scream ruptured the air.


	13. Ineffective

Mirthless violet depths flashed to the surface of Naraku's crimson orbs, leaving no doubt to Kagome's accusation. This did little to reassure the young woman as the tense silence between the two of them stretched out. Finally, the being in front of her responded.

"How very perceptive of you, _Ka-Go-Me_. And yet how very wrong you are yet. I am Magatsuhi, Demon of the Shikon no Tama." The voice was deeper than Naraku's, darker even and sent shivers running down her spine as he continued to stand completely immobile, only his eyes moving as they followed her reaction to his words.

"This _is_ Naraku's body, and somewhere deep inside, cradled against his weak, human heart he lies dormant... for the time being. You see," he paused eyes glowing brighter as his soft voice carried across the stillness, "Naraku has been ineffective thus far. Oh, he's done an excellent job at tainting the Jewel, when he has it but..."

Suddenly he was there, too close, far to close. Before Kagome could react she was slamming into the ground, her cheek blazing in white-hot pain from the backhand Magatsuhi had just delivered. Choking off a whimper, wide caramel eyes turned back to her opponent as he finished his previous statement.

"...he has failed at killing _you_."

Kagome rolled out of the way as one of Naraku's appendages from his back smashed into the ground where she had just been. Pulling an arrow out, she took aim and let loose, watching as it flew straight at Naraku, her purification energy scorching the ground beneath it. To her horror, he simply swatted the arrow away like a bug, and sent a concentrated blast of miasma at her now running form.

Loosing another arrow to counter the miasma, Kagome was thrown forward from the result blast as the energies collided. As she was climbing to her feet, Magatsuhi was suddenly before her again. As his hand reached for her throat, the miko threw her arms up before her, desperately pushing enough energy to the surface to shove the possessed hanyou's body back several yards, giving her room to notch another arrow from her quickly dwindling supply.

As she pulled back to aim, Magatsuhi suddenly disappeared from her line of sight. Head whipping back and forth, Kagome quickly reached out with her aura to locate her opponent. Feeling him behind, she failed to turn in time and was once again sent flying, this time without her quiver of arrows. Upon impact, she felt her bow snap beneath her weight. Despair began to fill her as pain throbbed throughout her body. With a soft grunt, Kagome pulled herself into a sitting position and looked up to see her arrows being crushed in the dark hanyou's grip.

Kagome threw up a shield just as Magatsuhi lunged at her, and felt a tremor of satisfaction seep through her fear as he was repelled back a few feet, his body sizzling where it had come into contact with her shield. Another dark pulse burned against her soul, and the miko recognized with dread and relief that it had been Magatsuhi's power that had felt like the tainted Jewel. However, the pain didn't fade as it had with other pulses of impurity. This time, the feeling just grew in intensity, being fed by the being now standing just outside her barrier, eyes impassively staring through her.

Kagome clenched her teeth in an effort not to cry out at the pain wracking her body, and nearly caved when Magatsuhi began battering at her barrier with Naraku's appendages. Between the two combined attacks, she could feel herself weakening, and answering fractures where racing across the barrier itself.

So focused was she on maintaining her barrier, Kagome nearly missed Magatsuhi's mocking statement. Looking up, she noted his gaze was drawn by something to her right. Unable to help herself, Kagome's eyes glanced to her side to see what had captured his attention. Dark eyes filled with hope as they saw Sesshomaru coming through the fog, the same snarl on his face that she had seen earlier. Her attention wavered, and in her moment of distraction, her barrier splintered and dissolved, leaving her vulnerable and weak from the pain now swamping her nerves from Magatsuhi's proximity.

One of his tentacles slammed into her shoulder, and she heard it tearing through her, saw the world tilt as she was forced to the ground under the pressure and force now protruding out her back. Finally, a scream of pain tore from her throat as sensation returned and left her clutching at the appendage now resting through her body. Hot tears ran down her face as she watched Sesshomaru vanish when he tried to cleave Naraku's head from his body.

"What a very good job you're doing, little miko," Magatsuhi sneered, his decaying breath washing across her face as he leaned in far to close for comfort, his violently purple orbs boring into her own frightened eyes. Kagome felt herself go pale as he uttered his next statement into her ear, his voice whispering in reassuring tones that were at odds with the cruel declaration.

"Now, you need to **keep** screaming."

Sesshomaru's eyes went wide as the image of Naraku and Kagome vanished. His sword had been ineffective as it sliced into the possessed hanyou's neck, as the moment it breached the flesh, both figures had dissipated like the fog around him. He would almost believe that it had all been an illusion... except that Kagome _hadn't stopped screaming_. Just as one heart-rending scream ended, another shriek of agony tore through the silence and his peace of mind.

_Again._

He had been unable to stop Magatsuhi again, and now he could only hope that he could reach Kagome before it was too late. The taunting laughter of Magatsuhi hounded his every step, sending a clear message.

_It might already be too late._


	14. Indefinable

Sesshomaru snarled into the silence around them. The group had walked right into Magatsuhi's trap, and been easily separated by the illusionary fog saturating the area. After battling through the shadows of deceit for over an hour, the taiyoukai had managed to find his half-brother and other companions. Except for...

"_Aaaaaaaaaaaah!_" Another scream splintered the air, and blood welled against sharp fangs as Sesshomaru bit the inside of his cheek in restrained rage. He had to find her before her screams stopped. Due to the dampening effect of the fog, the taiyoukai couldn't pick up her scent, and each bone-chilling cry seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. Eyes burning, Sesshomaru came to a decision.

"Oi bastard, what-" InuYasha cut off with a curse as he realized what his brother was about to do. Jumping away from the feral daiyoukai, InuYasha warned the others, " Get back! The baka's about to transform!"

Sango and Miroku retreated to the air on Kirara as ribbons of energy began to ripple and dance about Sesshomaru's form. Flesh stretched and bones buckled, expanding and restructuring into lines of brute strength. The energy fluxed tightly around the youkai's frame, crackling and popping with the sheer violence of the transformation. As yet another piercing scream ripped through the forest, it was met with a nightmarish roar from the towering Sesshomaru.

Kagome's throat was hoarse, and her body shaking from the agony lancing throughout her body. In the eternity since she'd had her glimpse of Sesshomaru, Magatsuhi, via Naraku's body, had inflicted one torture after another. After using his claws to carve his name into her stomach, he had pinned her front against a tree and proceeded to peal strips of flesh from her back slowly. He had then flung her across the clearing, then attacked her, leaving burns across her flesh with his miasma.

Currently, she was pinned under him again, struggling not to move from where he had broken her femur with his hand. The distant sound of Sesshomaru's roar brought a defiant smile to her trembling and bloodied lips as she looked up at the irritated visage of Naraku.

"Didn't see that coming, did you?'" She quipped, her voice rough but strong. Violet eyes locked with her own whiskey malt orbs, Magatsuhi's anger showing through at his inability to break her spirit.

"No matter. My only goal was to keep _you_ from uniting the mortal embodiments of the three Imperial Regalia. If Sesshomaru wants you so badly..." Kagome gasped, her eyes going wide in shock. Magatsuhi stood, his face impassive as he pulled his hand from the battered miko's chest. Kagome felt her body go numb as she lost consciousness, unable to hear his parting words under the consuming darkness.

"...then he may have your _corpse._"

Vermilion eyes glowed ominously through the dense mist that was separating Sesshomaru from the tortuous cries of the one he sought to find. Noting that his other companions were safely beyond the reach of the fog, Sesshomaru bared his fangs as he allowed the acidic vapors of his venom to seep forth. Slowly, it began overcoming Naraku's illusions, and the fog started fizzling into wisps that dissipated in the afternoon air. As the last of the fog was clearing away, the InuTaichi felt Naraku's presence withdraw from the area with it.

Deeming it safe to spread out now, they started searching the forested area for their friend, calling her name in voices filled with frantic desperation. Sesshomaru allowed his form to fall back in on itself until he again inhabited his more human guise. Using his heightened senses, Sesshomaru felt his veins run through with ice. Immobilized by the smell of her blood, Sesshomaru strained his ears, listening for a scream, a moan...

...a heartbeat.

The mute stillness that greeted him stirred the aloof youkai to action. Within a matter of seconds, Sesshomaru found what he was looking for, covered in her own blood.

"**_Kagome!_**" Her friend's distant voices fell through the clearing as he slowly approached the bloodied miko. Her body was littered with various wounds, including a gaping puncture through her chest. Her blood was all over the clearing, and still pulsed sluggishly from her wounds, including the one in her shoulder he had seen inflicted. As Sesshomaru drew closer, his ears were finally met with the faintest pulsing of life, and he noted the shallow movements of her chest as Kagome struggled to keep breathing. Knees weakened with tenuous relief, the strongest being in Nippon fell to them at the prove of life in the battered woman. Gathering Kagome's small body to him, Sesshomaru held her carefully but firmly, determined to keep her from further harm.

That was how InuYasha and the others found him.

Sango moved forward, her eyes troubled. "Sesshomaru-sama, Tensaiga-"

"The miko **cannot** be saved with Tensaiga again," Sesshomaru cut through the slayer's words, his voice soft with defeat. "The sword's power is limited to denying death only one once for each soul."

InuYasha watched as Sesshomaru finally raised his eyes to them, and felt the world tilt at what he saw. Lines of crimson were stitched through his brother's citrus gaze, illuminating the barely leashed pain in their depths. It was the indefinable emotion embittering the taiyoukai's voice that broke InuYasha's heart when he spoke next.

"_I can not help her._"


	15. Displaced

_Thump-thump... thump-thump..._

Rin was sitting quietly by her lord's knee, her eyes bright with un-shed tears. Shippo was curled around Kagome's hand, the only part of her body that taiyoukai was willing to share as he clung tightly to her wounded body, willing her to open her eyes.

_Thump-thump..._

…... thump-thump...

Sango and Miroku had set up a small fire to keep everyone warm, and had settled down, their eyes also focused on their friend with worry and a sense of dread. Kikyo was sitting at the base of the tree InuYasha had taken residence in to keep watch, determined to let nothing that could harm the little miko further to get near their encampment.

_Thump...-thump..._

...thump...

...

It took a moment for the absolute silence to register, for the absence of a heart-beat to filter through Sesshomaru's frozen mind. All the demon's in the clearing snapped their eyes to figure cradled in the inuyoukai lords arms. InuYasha jumped down from his perch and quickly rushed to where Sesshomaru sat stiffly, his tawny eyes wide as they stared at the pale and bloody woman still within the circle of his arms.

"No..." the silver-haired hanyou whispered is disbelief, clenching his shaking hands into fists at his sides.

Kikyo's sharp gasp cause everyone to quickly look at her in trepidation. Her brown eyes were wide in shock, her hand clutched to her chest as she panted for breath. InuYasha had rushed to the undead miko's side as she fell to her knees. Tears running down her cheeks, Kikyo choked on a sob before she looked up, her eyes locked on the face of the young woman who had suffered so much, who had been displaced in time for so long. Kagome had been the friend InuYasha needed to trust in himself an others, had saved her and healed her time and again, and had not only given her blessing for the couple to be together, but had helped others understand the love she shared with InuYasha.

Sesshomaru's gaze had remained focused on Kagome, his claws biting into her quickly cooling skin as he listened to the smothering silence where there should have been a heart beating. He didn't want to hear the words building in the undead one's throat, didn't want to acknowledge the damning truth in those doe's eyes so like and yet unlike those of the vibrant woman he couldn't take his eyes from.

Shoulders shaking under the pain, Kikyo cried, "The rest of her soul-"

A loud cawing interrupted Kikyo as a large, dark shadow swooped into the clearing. Everyone's gaze was drawn to what appeared to be a large black crow that had landed in the tree where InuYasha had previously sat. The most prominent difference, however, was the crow's third leg. Miroku moved forward, his eyes locked on the bird with wonder and ...hope.

"Yatagarasu...?"

Sesshomaru's eyes finally snapped up at the houshi's breathless murmur, his golden gaze finding the fowl and latching on with the same sort of empty hope. Yatagarasu was supposedly a god, and the appearance of the great bird usually was evidence of the divine intervention of the kami in human affairs.

He was a symbol of guidance... and _rebirth_.

Standing swiftly, Sesshomaru strode forward, looking directly into the endless gaze of the feathered kami above him.

"Do you know of a way to save the miko?" Sesshomaru's voice was cold and impervious, but inside his soul was standing on the precipice of despair, waiting to fall or fly. A tense moment passed, all eyes in the clearing on the kami, waiting. After what seemed an eternity, the crow jerked its head once in a nod, and with a screech took wing, circling once before shooting off towards the south.


	16. Possibility

Sesshomaru had shot off after Yatagarasu, Kagome's limp form clutched to his chest. He called back to Jaken an curt order to bring Rin and the miko's kit on Ah-Uh, and then focused once more on the distant speck that was his guide. Releasing his youki to feel for the path of the feathered kami he was slowly loosing sight of, Sesshomaru was startled to feel faint traces of Kagome's power following the same path.

Still moving with haste, Sesshomaru scented the forest trails beneath him, finding lingering smells related to his brother's group over the entire area, specifically that of the tiny onna he carried. Taking note of the direction they were headed, Sesshomaru began to notice the familiar surroundings, and realized he was being lead into the far reaches of InuYasha's forest.

Right towards the Bone-Eaters Well.

Tallow eyes lit with understanding as the daiyoukai recalled a conversation he'd had with the miko not long after the Jewel had disappeared. He had been coming to check on his ward, who was staying at the village with the elderly miko Kikyo while everyone tried to figure out what the plan was with the Shikon missing...

Sesshomaru watched through the trees, masking his aura so as to have time to observe the strange girl without distraction. When he had arrived in the village, the taiyoukai had been surprised to feel her aura some distance away while the rest of her group was discussing strategy in the old miko's hut. Curious as to why she would chance being so far out without protection in the form of the whelp, Sesshomaru had decided to investigate after checking on Rin.

So now here he stood, watching as the raven-haired girl tenderly ran her fingers over the warm-worn wood of what the village had named the Bone-Eaters Well. Her eyes were a bit too bright in the darkness surrounding her, yet a small smile played at the edges of her mouth. Interest peaked even more at the woman's apparent attachment to the rotting relic, Sesshomaru released his youki in announcement, perturbed when she didn't even bother to react to his proximity.

Walking across the clearing to where she was now leaning against the well, Sesshomaru continued to study her features with his topaz eyes, filled with questions, but unwilling to ask if not offered. Luckily, Kagome seemed to be in a sharing mood this night. Eyes still locked on the wood beneath her, her voice was soft with both regret and amusement.

"Did you know, Sesshomaru, that this is the pathway to my home?" His silence didn't seem to bother her, as she continued, fingers tracing the whorls and ridges carved by wind and time. "It's closed right now, probably because the Jewel has vanished."

"...in 500 years, give or take, my family is probably eating dinner and talking about their day. My mother, brother and grandpa..."

Her voice trailed off, her still too bright eyes moving from up to look at the stars decorating the sky above the clearing. Sesshomaru continued to wait, somehow knowing that she wasn't finished sharing yet, but not knowing for what purpose she chose to share this information with him. Finally, she sighed, the sound of it both accepting and filled with guilt.

"They're probably ignoring the empty chair where I should be sitting. Each of them thinking about, but not voicing the possibility..." Here her voice choked off, as the salty tang of her tears tickled his nose even as she swiped the evidence of them from her cheeks. Kagome, took a steadying breath, and then looked at Sesshomaru, a heart-breaking smile on her face.

Without another word, she stood and, with one last glance at the empty well, moved to head back towards the village with a small nod of her head to him. She had only gone a few steps when his voice, assured and apathetic stopped her.

"The possibility that, tonight, you might come home."

She turned to look at him, a humorless laugh dripping from lips made for happier sounds and sweeter thoughts. Gold stared into mahogany as she slowly shook her head.

"No, Sesshomaru. The possibility that I might **never** come home."

Moon-kissed eyes chanced a look down at the silent figure in his arms, her words from that night echoing in his mind with prophetic undertones now. A determine frown settling along his borw, Sesshomaru continued forward, refusing to believe that the brave, pure little miko would never be able to see her family in the future again. Not if there was still a chance they save her. Not while there was still the **possibility** she could survive this.

Caught up in his turbulent thoughts, Sesshomaru nearly flew past the well before the loud cawing of Yatagarasu alerted him once more to his surroundings. Landing a few feet from the well, Sesshomaru was surprised to see that the rest of the group had managed to keep pace with him, all of them settling down into the clearing around the well.

As Kikyo hopped off InuYasha's back, the crow kami took wing again, circling around first the undead miko and then above Kagome, who was still cradled gently by the daiyoukai. Sesshomaru looked between the women, and then swiftly approached Kikyo, who simply looked at him in despair and confusion.

"You must take the miko and jump in the well." Sesshomaru's statement took everyone by surprise, but after a moment Kikyo nodded in understanding, a spark of hope lighting in her eyes as well. Carefully taking Kagome's weight on her back, Kikyo moved to the lip of the well, taking a moment to settle Kagome on the edge and then wrap her arms around her equally cold body.

Then, without any hesitation, Kikyo leaned them both backwards into the well, where they were enveloped by a soft pink light before they too vanished.


	17. Unbound

Kikyo was amazed at her current surroundings. When she had taken Kagome into the well, she had felt the flash of warmth enveloping the both of them, slowing their decent rapidly until they were floating within the bright pink light. Kagome had spoken to her once of what it was like to travel through the well to her home and then back to the Feudal era, but the experience was something altogether different.

Loosening her hold slightly, Kikyo focused her attention back to the cold body still within the circle of her arms. Moving slowly so she wouldn't lose her grip on the other girl, the undead miko shifted until Kagome was suspended facing her, their hands intertwined as Kikyo waited for... something.

_...anything._

Precious moments passed by, with no sign that the two women were going to do any more than drift within the void of light between times. Kikyo felt a heart she didn't have clench as despair and doubt began to claw at her. Tightening her grip to the point that, had she been alive, Kagome would have felt pain, Kikyo summoned her powers, attempting to provoke a response from the girl facing her. Still, the futuristic miko's eyes remained shut, looking deceptively peaceful with her dark lashes stark against her pallid cheeks.

Kikyo slumped with defeat, eyes burning with frustrated tears her clay body did not have. She considered herself a resilient woman, strong in her faith to the kami, both as a Shrine Maiden and a human. Despite having embraced the darkness in her soul after the wrong that had befallen both her and InuYasha, Kikyo had found her way back to the righteous path, letting go of her bitterness with the knowledge that there was a purpose to everything. Yet her faith wavered in the face of this injustice, her hope faltering in a way that made her feel small and weak compared to her reincarnation. Kagome would _never_ give up on someone, would never stop hoping and believing that everything would work out for the better.

But there would be no more Kagome. No stubbornly optimistic miko to keep hope alive, warm and reassuring.

"Was this all for naught?" Kikyo's soft voice was bitter with resentment, towards Fate and the kami. _What point was there in bringing us this far, of leading us towards a solution if there was no possibility of saving her?_ The silence that followed was oppressive, as Kikyo waited for an answer she was not expecting to receive.

She was therefore startled when the warmth around her and Kagome pulsed, flashing brighter as a voice reverberated through her very soul:

**"Time is a complicated thing, Kikyo-san, and not something easily controlled or manipulated."** The voice was distinctly feminine, but firm with understanding. **"Currently the two of you are both unbound from time, and in order to set things right, you must both become subject to its laws once more."**

Kikyo felt a jolt race down her arms, and brown eyes widened as she felt the drag of her powers, of her very _soul_, seeping from her body into Kagome's through their linked hands. As she watched, Kagome's wounds began to rapidly heal, as the color returned to her skin even as Kikyo felt herself weaken.

"What is happening to her?" Kikyo left the other half of her question unspoken, not ready yet to hear the answer.

"**You are now both tethered to Time. In order to correct certain events that should have never occurred, Time is being reversed, reordering the outcomes of both her death... and ****_yours_****.**" The voice was still soft as it echoed through the void. "**Only ****_she_**** was meant to be immune to the laws of Time. Only ****_she_**** can fulfill the Prophecy. Having been brought back in this grave-soil and clay body, you have inadvertently become a unbound from Time as well.**

"**That can no longer continue.**"

Another pulse shocked through her, and the undead miko grunted in pain as she felt her power and soul begin to untether from her makeshift body. Fear began to coil inside her, true fear as she realized that if things continued this way, she would crumble back to ashes, ceasing to exist. Unconsciously, her fingers began to loosen from Kagome's, but hearing a gasp of breath across from her, Kikyo shoved her fear for herself to the back of her mind. She'd had two chances at life now, a second one that Kikyo had torn from the woman in front of her when she'd refused to relinquish part of her soul back to Kagome. Dark eyes set with acceptance and grim resolution, Kikyo once again held tightly to the other woman's hands, willing her very life into her reincarnation, determined that she would follow this path...

...no matter where it led.


	18. Inconceivable

Kagome was surrounded by warmth, could feel it chasing out the iciness from her veins as it flowed through her. Light pulsed against the backdrop of her lids, the colors swirling together in a sensation of deep reds, blazing oranges and dark pinks. Probably Buyo had simply moved the blinds aside trying to get into the window, as he did every morning. The silly cat was always waking her up by letting the unforgiving daylight shine into her face long before her alarm was supposed to go off. A groan slipped past her lips at that thought, because she really didn't want to listen to that shrill beeping today. For some reason, her body was sore all over, and she felt rather lethargic. Maybe she was coming down with a cold?

Another flash of light hit her closed eyes, and Kagome clenched her eyes tighter with a small frown on her face, a disgruntled moan slipping between her lips. Still unwilling to rise and meet the day, she tried to turn over, away from the damnable light and the coming day, but was met with resistance. While her shoulders were more than willing to comply with her demands, her hands seemed to be held in place by something. Tempered by the lethargy ensconcing her mind, Kagome felt only mildly confused about the entire situation. Tugging again, thinking perhaps her hands had gotten caught in her sheets, Kagome let out a gasp of air when the pressure holding her in place tightened uncomfortably.

"You mustn't let go." Cinnamon eyes shot open at the sound of Kikyo's voice, everything rushing back to her in a deluge of screams, blood, and violet eyes. A whoosh of air left her as the memories overwhelmed her body and mind with colors, sounds and sensations. Kagome shuddered, her body twisting into itself at the remembered pressure of a foreign arm sliding against muscle and bone as it was tugged forcefully out of her body; remembered the violating awareness of her soul slipping from her. Her soul...

As the crush of memories began to ebb, releasing her body from the rigid position it had curled into reflexively, Kagome focused on the woman still gripping painfully to her hands, feeling the strength and spiritual energy filtering through their connection into her body. Confusion rippling through her mind again, Kagome briefly glanced at their surroundings before turning her gaze back to Kikyo's own haggard expression.

"I... I d-died. I was... _dead_..." she started softly, shock and denial muting her reactions as she tried to process her own recent demise. The younger woman was distressed to see Kikyo's skin beginning to turn grey as the light in her eyes faded. Her relief-filled smile was even more unnerving, and Kagome began to feel dread coiling inside her as the stream of spiritual energy between them began to noticeably thin out.

"Yes, you did die. Magatsuhi killed you." Kagome flinched back at the brittle quality of Kikyo's voice, realization sweeping through her even as the other miko's skin began to flake from her, returning to ash and grave-yard soil. "And now," Kikyo smiled, her lips cracking in an expression of sincere affection for her reincarnation even as her voice wavered with acceptance, "I give you back the life I once took from you.

"Safeguard our soul, my friend."

It was all too much for Kagome, too many emotions for her to comprehend and process. Mahogany eyes framed in red, Kagome's mouth trembled with a silent denial as tears began burning paths down her cheeks. She pulled the elder miko to her, their hands clutched between them as Kagome laid her forehead against Kikyo's.

"Kikyo-" With a shake of her head that loosed more petals of ash free to wreath their floating figures, Kikyo stilled the words in Kagome's throat. After another moment of silence in which both refused to look away, Kagome nodded, a soft sob tripping past her lips as she accepted what the older woman already had. It was inconceivable to think anyone would have a second chance at life, and yet now they both had. Kagome felt the connection between them ebb and fade like the morose tendrils of smoke from a guttered candle, witnessed as Kikyo's eyes finally drifted shut, her mouth a study of resolute satisfaction for her choice. Pulling the slowly crumbling body of the miko to her, Kagome refused to look away as the woman she had come to respect disintegrated inch by inch into a cloud of ash and dust.

Heart beating with grief, Kagome floated in the midst of Kikyo's remains for what felt like an eternity, mourning the miko before taking the time to study where she was. Being much more in tune with the flows of power in the well, Kagome felt the shift of time around her, the pulsing of displacement in the void where she now found herself alone. Stretching out her powers tentatively, Kagome listened to the hum of Time as it moved around her, and felt a surprised gasp come from her. She had known the moment she had opened her eyes that they were in the well, but what she had just felt in the flow of energies explained how it was she had been able to be brought back to life. And why Kikyo's body had been destroyed.

**"You are correct, Shikon Miko Kagome, time is indeed reordering itself, moving in reverse to correct certain events that should never have come to pass."** The feminine voice startled her momentarily before what it had said filtered through her mind.

_So Time is moving in reverse._ Kagome thought softly to herself. _But then... _

"_...Kikyo!_" Kagome listened as the hum of Time picked up speed, felt as she herself was bypassed, unleashed from this particular eventuality even as the cloud of ashes began to swirl together, condensing in on itself until it was a dark knot of ashes and energy. As Time moved more swiftly, the hum increased in intensity, rising in pitch until Kagome thought her ears would bleed. Hands trying futilely to block the sound on either side of her head, Kagome never removed her eyes from the spectacle before her.

The knot of ashes had quickly become an inferno, bursting with liquid flames that snapped angrily at the air around it, fluidly growing brighter, stretching as ash became bones, muscles, and organs once more grew full with blood and tissue, and skin once more covered strong hands and an even stronger heart. Long, black tresses swiftly grew even as clothes of crimson and alabaster once more shielded Kikyo's form from the elements. In a final fit of defiance, the fire faded, leaving the miko floating in front of Kagome whole and unscathed.

"Kikyo!" Kagome reached out, grasping at the older miko's shoulder's and shaking her gently. When the older miko's eyes remained closed, Kagome drew back a bit before determination entered her eyes. Reaching down, Kagome was about to take Kikyo's hands into her own and force some of her power into the inanimate woman when the voice spoke once more, halting her actions.

**"That is unnecessary, Shikon Miko. Kikyo can no longer have a part of your soul."** The tone of the voice was gentle, and soothing, but that did little to quell the anger that raced through Kagome at the announcement. Looking around her, the quarrelsome miko scowled when she could find no source for her ire.

"I have to try!" Kagome snapped at the disembodied entity, knowing it would hear her regardless. "If we share the same soul then she deserves to have part of it. Kikyo deserves to live as much as I do!"

A ripple shook the air around them as the voice chuckled at her audacity and tone. Kagome only scowled harder, her eyes hard with determination and righteousness. Just as she was about to scold the being laughing at her again, the young woman was distracted by the throb of power that came from the woman in front of her. Spinning back to face Kikyo, Kagome felt her face go slack in amazement as the woman began to glow softly, a green shimmer of power surrounding her. As another throb of power emanated reassuringly from the previously dead miko, Kagome heard the voice softly speaking with what she was sure would be a smile could she see it.

**"Is it so inconceivable that we would be of the same mind as you, Shikon Miko? However, she cannot share your soul anymore..."**

**"...as Kikyo has her own soul back now."**


	19. Uncertain

The soft crackle and snapping of the fire blended with the hushed whispers of insects humming throughout the darkened forest. The inhabitants of the clearing were content to allow nature to continue its endless conversations, each withdrawn into their own tumultuous musings. Every so often, a pair of worry-filled eyes would flash to the well, impatiently sliding over the weathered wood in the hopes of discerning the answers for which everyone was waiting.

What was happening to Kagome and Kikyo? Could the magic of the well bring Kagome back to life? Would doing so _kill_ Kikyo? How long would it take? Was there anything more _they_ needed to do? The moment Kikyo had pulled Kagome into the well, Yatagarasu had taken wing, shooting straight into the air until even Sesshomaru's advanced sight could no longer distinguish his dark form from the encroaching night sky. InuYasha had reacted badly once he had realized _why_ Kikyo had to be the one to go into the well with Kagome. After several failed attempts to follow the woman who held his heart and the woman who had healed it, InuYasha had retreated to the base of Goshinboku, and had not moved in the nearly two days they had been waiting.

Miroku had taken the children down to the village to stay with Kaede, having Jaken and Ah-Un guard for any attacks from the possessed hanyou. After returning, he and Sango had set up camp by the well, both of them filled with worry for their friend. The well was emitting a steady hum of power that Miroku could feel, and every few hours he tested the energy for any changes that might signal the return of the two miko.

After not moving from where he had been standing for the better part of a day, Sesshomaru had stationed himself at the base of the well, guarding over it and its occupants. There was an air of nonchalance to the youkai lord that the rest of the group envied in these uncertain moments. Inside however, Sesshomaru was seething in a maelstrom of emotions that were threatening to overwhelm him. His thoughts were a series of revolutions, circling endlessly in a dance of self-loathing, doubt and frustration. It had been two days since both the undead miko and Kagome had vanished within the mysterious power from the structure at his back. Two days, since Naraku and Magatsuhi had ambushed them and used a false Jewel as bait.

Two agonizingly long, embittered days since he had failed and Kagome had died.

With a soft snarl at himself and the direction of his thoughts, Sesshomaru stood. Turning, he braced his hands against the lip of the well, claws strangling the aged structure in a dangerously tight grip as glowing, molten eyes gazed into the dark depths impatiently. So lost was he with his inner demons, Sesshomaru failed to notice the approach of the slayer until a small, battle-calloused hand brushed tenderly along the whirls of wood next to his own. Sharp eyes studied the woman next to him as she turned her gaze from inside the well to the bejeweled sky above, never once resting her eyes on his questioning form.

Sango noticed the inuyoukai's overt assessment of her presence, but remained silent, gathering her thoughts together. She had been watching Sesshomaru since the sky had begun to show the first blushes of nightfall, trying to understand his reactions to Kagome back in the clearing against the now cool detachment that was at odds with his body language. As a demon slayer, she knew that inuyoukai were fiercely loyal to those whom they deemed worthy of those attentions, as well as protective, with a deeply rooted sense of integrity and honor. She also knew that Kagome had been drawing the aloof Sesshomaru into the circle of those she considered friends for some months past. Gazing at the moon, Sango felt her lips twist into a bitter-sweet grin.

Despite his immunity over the centuries to the emotional bonds others craved, it was apparent that even Sesshomaru was unable to resist the phenomenon that was Kagome's utter sincerity and compassion. For a being not used to such attachments though, Sango mused the daiyoukai was uncertain to his own reactions in regards to the spirited miko. Her grin fading, Sango once more turned her melancholy gaze to the darkness stretching down past her fingertips. She could only hope it wasn't too late to welcome him to the club.

After several minutes had passed, Sango's soft voice broke the silence between them, startling Sesshomaru from his own inner thoughts once more. When she had made no move to address him, the inuyoukai lord had written her presence off to once more wrestle with his emotions. At her words, however, his attention focused more intently on the tiny slayer and her motives for approaching him.

"I once heard Kagome say that in her time, you can rarely see the stars at night. It was right after that last huge battle, when the Jewel had disappeared. Kikyo had told me that Kohaku was alive, and free from Naraku, but we couldn't find him anywhere." Sango paused for a moment, old wounds surfacing under the weight of memories. Sesshomaru remained silent, knowing that the slayer had not finished. Eyes burning, but thankfully dry, Sango continued, her voice a bit rougher.

"It was a few weeks later that we finally heard word of his whereabouts. When we reached him, Kohaku was living with a family in a village to the north that had found him wandering, lost and confused as to anything other than his name. When he saw me, he ran to the eldest daughter of the family, a girl a few years younger than me, hiding behind her and shivering in fear.

"I don't know what happened, what Naraku did to his memories, but every time he set eyes on me during our stay his face filled with so much fear—" Sango choked down on a sob, refusing to loose herself to heartache. Closing her eyes and taking a steadying breath, the battle-hardened woman steadied her nerves, wiping the errant moisture from her lids before it had a chance to grow into a damning evidence of her own sorrow. Looking into Sesshomaru's eyes finally, Sango continued.

"Every time Kohaku ran to that girl calling her 'big sister', I died. After we came back to Kaede's village, I shut down. My brother was alive, but only knew me as someone to fear. Naraku had finally beaten me- Kohaku was alive... but my little brother was _gone_. I couldn't find him anywhere in that terrified face, just as he could no longer see his big sister when he looked at me." Sango had taken the time to sit on the lip of the well, her eyes once again moving from Sesshomaru to the star-filled canopy above the clearing.

"Kagome was the one who finally got through to me. She showed me there was hope that one day I would be with Kohaku again. She told me how, in her time, villages had grown into cities, and the lights from all over Nippon blocked out the stars. Even in the countryside, she said, it is near impossible to see stars without tools that enhance your sight to that of a youkai's.

"Then Kagome said that the people we care about the most- our friends, our families- she said that they are like the stars in her time: You can't always see them, but you know they're still there." Once more silence fell between them as Sango thought about that moment when she'd felt the weight of despair lift from her soul, and Sesshomaru thought about her words and the meaning behind them.

The silence stretched out, this one not as tense as before, but not comfortable either. Sesshomaru understood the logic of her thinking, but did not understand why she had felt the need to tell him her story, or Kagome's words. Eyes narrowing as frustration began to seep into his thoughts once more, the youkai lord decided to cut to the heart of the matter.

"You endeavor to convince me that the miko is not truly gone, and that she will return." Sango shook her head, reddish-brown eyes meeting with gold as she explained:

"No, Sesshomaru-sama, I only want to help you realize two things. The first is the same thing I learned from Kagome: that it _wasn't my fault_. It wasn't her fault she couldn't see the stars in her time, and it wasn't my fault that I could no longer see my brother and vice versa... as it isn't _your fault_ that she died."

Sesshomaru didn't deny her assumption that he felt responsible for failing the little miko. The daiyoukai wasn't in the habit of lying, to himself or others, and he respected that the slayer knew enough about inuyoukai to perceive his attitude towards the situation. He did not appreciate that she, a mere human, felt a misplaced duty to correct his perceptions however. Scowling slightly at the shrewd assessment, Sesshomaru reluctantly nodded, graciously accepting her sound reasoning.

"And the other," he prompted, his voice soft but commanding. A gentle breeze swept through the clearing, whipping his fine, moon-brushed hair behind him as he moved his gaze back to the well on which one clawed hand still rested. Sango stood silent in the chilling air a moment longer before turning to head back for the warmth of the fire. Her voice was equally soft and autocratic, her response a question of her own, carried to him on the wind even as she drew further from him.

"We all have stars we recognize, Sesshomaru. Is Kagome one of yours?"


	20. Irredeemable

Smoky, purple eyes watched as Sango approached the taciturn youkai looming over the well, unable to avoid lingering over the sculpted crest of his love's backside. Allowing himself a momentary smirk filled with lascivious promises, Miroku felt no shame in appreciating his intended's healthy figure. With a sigh of disappointment at her retreating form, Miroku turned his thoughts from Sango to his other friend who was still sullenly isolated from his pack beneath Goshinboku.

Reaching forward, the houshi carefully pulled the pot of boiling water off the fire before digging through Kagome's tried-and-true backpack, searching diligently until he found the only thing capable of breaking through InuYasha's self-imposed banishment: Ramen.

Carefully peeling the lid back the way Kagome had shown him to, Miroku poured the steaming water into the container before setting it aside to work its magic. Surreptitiously watching InuYasha, the houshi's lips split into a mirthful grin when the inuhanyou's nose began twitching. As the smell of sweet-warm spices and noodles drifted across the clearing, the red-clad figure responded as Miroku had expected, reluctantly moving in the direction of the inviting fire and the promise of his favorite meal. Despite understanding that InuYasha wanted to be alone right now, the houshi knew it was unhealthy for him to be isolated from his pack for an extended length of time.

Making no effort to conceal his smug expression, Miroku handed the bowl of ramen to his friend in silence, allowing InuYasha a chance to enjoy the comfort of a familiar taste and subdued company. Closing his eyes, Miroku reflected on the conversation Kagome, Sango and he had had shortly after the Jewel vanished, leaving them with only a cryptic prophecy and an overwhelming sense of frustration.

_InuYasha once again left the group in haste, chasing after one of Kikyo's shinidamachu with a single-mindedness that rivaled Sesshomaru's quest for power, the ghostly trails of light vanishing into the heart of the forest. Knowing of their friend's feelings for the insensitive hanyou, Miroku and Sango hesitantly glanced at Kagome in sympathy, only to find her staring after their fire-rat clad friend with an air of satisfaction, her eyes bright with undisguised happiness. Catching Sango's and Miroku's attention focused on her, Kagome smiled encouragingly, calling for a break while they waited for their errant friend to return. _

After everyone was settled comfortably on a handy blanket the young woman had retrieved from her bottomless knapsack, the molasses-eyed miko broached the sensitive topic with a bluntness that shocked everyone present. Playing with Shippo's tail as she spoke, Kagome's voice was full of compassion and confidence as she explained her reaction, or lack thereof, to her two friends.

"InuYasha's heart was never mine, guys. Despite the fact that I love him dearly, InuYasha's happiness and love... lay exclusively within Kikyo's arms." Smiling at the shocked expressions on Miroku's and Sango's faces, she continued slowly, wanting them to understand her reasoning, to understand that she wasn't sacrificing her happiness in this decision. While it was true that her heart still did burn for her silver-haired hero, that fire was dimming, settling into a determined fondness for her long-time companion that would always smolder with the soft embers of first love.

"They both_ made mistakes based on their previously bad experiences in life, and they _both_ have suffered enough for those misguided choices. _But love isn't irredeemable._ Kikyo and InuYasha failed to hold faith to each other when unknowingly faced with the first test of their love, and each felt a betrayal deeper than any that came before it... _

"...but that doesn't mean they stopped_ loving."_

Sango and Miroku heard the conviction and fortitude in the young woman's voice. Both felt a greater respect for Kagome as she forged on, defending InuYasha and his relationship with Kikyo, heedless of her own heartache. They both realized that neither of them had been thinking of InuYasha and Kikyo's feelings in this difficult situation. All that anyone had been concerned with was how it was affecting Kagome; how InuYasha was choosing a dead woman who had betrayed him over one that was openly offering her love, and acceptance. As usual, Kagome had been the only one to look past the obvious; to see beyond the choices made, to the vulnerable hearts that had made them.

Only a soul as pure as Kagome would, and it endeared her friends to her even more. As they continued to listen, both the slayer and houshi felt the bonds that Kagome had forged between the members of the group grow stronger as they began to comprehend the true depths of Hell InuYasha and Kikyo had been through.

"When Kikyo was resurrected, it wasn't just a second chance at life for her; it was another chance for them both to learn from their mistakes and rediscover their hearts." Kagome paused, considering her next words carefully even as her own chest ached with regret for her unrequited love.

"InuYasha cares about all_ of us. Together, we've become the family he never had before, even with Kikyo." Pinning the houshi with a pleading gaze, Kagome willed her friends to understand that without their support, InuYasha would continue to suffer. _

"Miroku, you offer him advice and wisdom that help him understand others even when they refuse to try and understand him." Turning to the slayer she considered a sister, the miko pushed on in earnest. "Sango you're able to relate to him as a warrior, as someone who knows the price of necessary battle, and the unreasonable choices made under duress. Shippo," Kagome looked into the fretful eyes of the small kit she loved as a mother would a son, "you give InuYasha a chance to be the big brother he himself never had growing up. Together, we each give him the love, trust, and understanding he needs to heal and grow and seek out his own happiness.

"And that happiness is with Kikyo_. And as his family, we need to support him, to protect his happiness." _

Sango, Miroku, and Shippo considered her words in silence, each of them honestly agreeing with her, yet still reluctant to accept Kagome's logic when it didn't result in her love for InuYasha being returned. Miroku was about to say as much when he caught the emotion filtering through the bittersweet acceptance in the young woman's expressive eyes. The sincerity blazing in her gaze was humbling, and with a shared glance, the houshi knew that Sango had also recognized the truth. Kagome wasn't sacrificing her love for InuYasha to her predecessor. Instead, the young woman from the future had chosen to embrace InuYasha's happiness, and in doing so, seek out her own in time.

After that day, Miroku and the others had made a silent promise to protect InuYasha's happiness for Kagome whenever she wasn't there. Peeking at his silver-haired companion as he heard the slurping of noodles begin to subside, the smoky-eyed man allowed his lips to quirk with humor.

_'We __**will**__ protect his happiness Kagome, even if all it entails is feeding him and keeping him from being alone.' _

Several minutes of comfortable silence, broken only by the discontent blaze of wood-fed flames snapping occasionally, wrapped around the two of them. At length InuYasha spoke, his voice filled with regret, worry, and heart-break. His metal-washed gaze determinedly observed the inconsistent dance of fire as it lashed futilely at the brisk night air, uncannily reflecting his own tumultuous emotions.

"I must be the most selfish bastard in existence." Miroku waited patiently, knowing the hanyou's penchant for stumbling through his own thoughts when he tried to put them to words. "I mean, I know I love Kikyo, but I don't want to lose Kagome either. And now they're both somewhere I can't protect them, both having died because of the Shikon Jewel, and both of them unable to live without the same soul...

"...and all I can think about is _me_, about how much _I'm_ hurting. Wondering what _I_ did to deserve this punishment, to deserve having the two people who actually give a damn about me taken away?" Claws pierced through calloused palms from a punishingly tight grip as InuYasha tensed his muscles, attempting to rein in emotions even as he tried to sheath them with words the houshi could understand.

"All I can think about is... is what I'll do if one of them doesn't come back, if _both_ of them don't come back. What... what kind of bastard am I, that all I can think about is _ME_?!" By now the brash hanyou was standing, his back to the reassuring warmth of the fire, denying himself even that small comfort. His muscles quivered with the restrained urge to flee from the gently lit space, to run away from his snarled confession and the man he considered a brother silently contemplating him and what he had revealed.

The quiet between them was taut, stretching out into the far reaches of each man's conflicted heart as Miroku considered how to address InuYasha's inner dilemma. With a gusty release of breath that was answered by a furry, white ear flicking back towards him, Miroku leveled an impatient glare at his friend.

"Only you would think caring about your own happiness was selfish, InuYasha." Angry sun-fired eyes cut into Miroku, and only raising his hands before himself in a placating gesture stilled whatever the ill-tempered inu had been preparing to shout at him. Motioning for InuYasha to reclaim his place by the fire, the houshi waited to speak until the hanyou had sat down facing him, eyes narrowed and mouth screwed into a dissatisfied frown.

"Do you recall what Kagome told you about your relationship with Kikyo? She was quite adamant, if I remember correctly, that until you could create your _own_ happiness, you would not find any together. And you did..." here Miroku paused, his eyes glancing across the clearing to where he knew Sango was talking with the elder brother in a similar fashion.

"InuYasha, you forged your happiness with sword and claws, by protecting those dearest to you. You have a family with us, and you fight to keep us safe and content. It is not selfish to be upset at the thought of losing a piece of that." Miroku turned back to his friend, only to be caught off guard by the expression on the normally contentious man's face. InuYasha's eyes were haunted, filled with shadows of guilt and a vulnerability that only Kagome had ever been privy to before this moment. InuYasha's voice was soft and coarse when he spoke, "I wasn't able to protect my mother, Kikyo, and now Kagome. I wasn't able to protect the three people who have given everything for me, for _my_ happiness." Despair seemed to wrap around the red-clad hanyou, sapping his bravado and leaving in its wake a soul weighted by blame and trepidation. "How do I live with that Miroku?"

Smoke and purple eyes softened as Miroku finally understood what Kagome had been telling them. A looming darkness and harsh winds flashed in Miroku's memory. A face, filled with warm regret and fatherly love vanished as quickly as it had appeared in the houshi's mind. Miroku recalled watching his father be consumed by the kazaana, and the crushing shame that had followed at being helpless to save him. He then thought of the anguish that had nearly destroyed Sango when they had found Kohaku, alive and free from Naraku, but trapped from his memories where she couldn't reach him. For days after they had returned to Kaede's village, Miroku had been unable to break through her melancholy, to offer her his strength and hope that somehow, everything would work out. He had hated himself for being so useless, so powerless to help the woman he loved the most.

Now here sat his closest friend, the brother of his heart, suffering under the same emotions of worthlessness and impotency. Knowing that InuYasha needed a response to his question, Miroku searched his heart for the right one. Looking to the star-speckled sky glittering serenely above them, the normally flippant houshi felt the answer for the inuhanyou's misplaced guilt resonate through him, soothing across the wrinkles of self-doubt remaining in his own conscience at the same time. Closing his eyes momentarily, Miroku basked in the feeling of relief before capturing the sorrow-filled gaze of his companion.

"You forgive yourself, InuYasha."


	21. Revelations

Petal-pink lips opened in amazement, a warm huff of air expelled from them as Kagome continued to stare at the effervescent green light encasing Kikyo's flesh and blood form. The words spoken by the unidentified being that seemed intent on helping them rebounded through her dazed mind, the particular phrasing clicking pieces together in her mind.

"Her own soul? So... were our souls never one and the same?" The young miko waited patiently, wanting to understand how it was that Kikyo and she could both exist at once, even in this space, if she truly was the reincarnation of the woman before her. The voice blooming around her was soothing and patient, something Kagome was grateful for in light of everything happening.

**"You are the reincarnation of not only Kikyo, but also the great miko Midoriko, whose soul was fractured through the creation of the Shikon no Tama."** Spiced eyes flashed at this information, and Kagome felt her confusion increase at this revelation.

"Fractured? Like when Urusae tore my soul from me to restore Kikyo?"

**"Yes... and no. What you must understand, is that all souls are made of three parts that work in harmony: the Shitai (Body), Herutsu (Heart) and Seishin (Mind). When in balance with each other, the Herutsu and Seishin form the part of the soul known as the Kokoro, and it is this which influences the purity of an indivudual's actions. When the Seishin is more powerful than the Herutsu, an individual tends to become more vulnerable to deceptiveness and malevolence, and when the Herutsu is more powerful than the Seishin, an individual is more open to compassion and honesty. The Shitai is the piece of the soul that carries the majority of the individuals skills and abilities, and reflects the personality and image and the individual the most. **

**"During Midoriko's battle with Magatsuhi, the power of her soul was pushed past the limits of any mortal. Midoriko was overwhelmed by the energies within her and the demon accosting her, so her soul split into two pieces: the Kokoro and the Shitai. Midoriko's Shitai was trapped inside the Shikon no Tama with Magatsuhi while her Kokoro was released to be reborn in another.**

**"When Kikyo was born, she inherited Midoriko's Kokoro, which bonded with her own Shitai. When she died, both Midoriko's Kokoro and Kikyo's Shitai were reincarnated in you, interweaving through your own Shitai, Kagome. Thus, when Urusae interfered, Kikyo regained her Shitai, while the Kokoro was split between the two of you. You retained the Herutsu, while Kikyo claimed the Seishin. Because she was ruled only by the Seishin and her Shitai, both filled with memories of betrayal and fear, Kikyo was initially consumed with bitterness, anger, and a need for revenge."**

Kagome watched the memories of her first year in the past replay in her mind's eye, feeling all the inconsistent pieces fall into place. It explained why, despite being Kikyo's reincarnation, she retained none of her skills with a bow or abilities over her miko powers. Why, despite discovering the truth about Naraku's deceit, Kikyo had clung to her hatred and pain. It also explained how both women had been able to survive with only a partial soul. Tearing her mind away from her inner thoughts, the young woman again focused on the billowing tones of the entity around her.

**"When you died, the Herutsu and Seishin merged back into the Kokoro, but a much more powerful one than before it had been divided. Because of this growth, the Kokoro was too large for either you or Kikyo. Had she not brought you to the well, the power of the re-merged soul would have consumed her."**

Kagome felt herself pale even as the light surrounding Kikyo began to settle underneath the miko's skin, weaving through sinew and muscle to bind soul and body. Drifting closer to her former rival in love, Kagome reached out to grasp her hands, desperate for the still woman to awaken as the blood quickened in her veins. Her voice falling softly into the embracing silence, Kagome felt understanding thread through her mind as she considered the information given.

"So, Midoriko's Kokoro basically divided itself equally into two new Kokoro in the same way a cell splits to form two new ones?" Kagome recalled how much she had initially hated biology, and sent a silent thanks to her former teacher for the knowledge she had managed to retain from that class. The voice was tinged with humor as it responded in the affirmative, adding that in doing so, the release of energy had firmly merged each woman's Kokoro with their Shitai, stabilizing their individual souls within them.

Flabbergasted at the revelations, Kagome nearly missed the slight twitching of Kikyo's fingers within her grasp, signaling her return to consciousness. Dismissing everything else for now, the young woman anxiously waited for pale lids to flutter open and reveal the light caramel gaze of her predecessor. Kikyo seemed disconcerted, blinking slowly as her body woke into life once more. Unable to contain the relieved tears dripping from her eyes, Kagome pulled the still discombobulated woman into an uncomfortably tight hug. Euphoric laughter spilled from smiling lips as the miko from the future rejoiced internally, even as Kikyo began squirming in her grasp for freedom and some sorely needed air.

With a final chuckle, Kagome loosed the now quite ruffled miko, pulling back to grin unabashedly at Kikyo's miffed expression. After a few moments of glaring at persistently smiling mahogany eyes, Kikyo relaxed enough to smirk back before peering around them again. A questioning furrow developed between her eyes, pinching her expression into one of worry as she looked back at Kagome, who hastened to assure her newly revived friend.

"Yes, we're _both_ alive, Kikyo-san." Kagome spent the next few moments explaining the information the entity had revealed about their souls, watching with compassionate understanding as Kikyo's face filtered through a range of emotions before settling on one that clearly conveyed 'migraine'. As Kagome excitedly finished her explanation, realization blazed across Kikyo's normally composed features, followed quickly by an elation she had rarely experienced.

Smooth lips peeling into a reckless grin, Kikyo whispered happily, "We can both go back!" Another second and her eyes became radiant with unrepentant joy. "I can be with InuYasha again!"

In an uncharacteristic move, the normally reserved miko threw her arms around Kagome's shoulder, crying with a heart-healing euphoria at the wondrous turn of events. Kagome held her close, her own joyous tears renewed at the happiness enveloping Kikyo at the thought of being with her love again. At the thought of the brash hanyou's expression when they both emerged from the well, Kagome couldn't help the pang of loneliness that echoed in the depths of her heart.

Before it had a chance to taint her good mood however, an image of Sesshomaru's sun-sweet eyes flashed through her mind, making her breath exhale in a whoosh. Kagome wasn't given a chance to ponder the significance of her thoughts, as the energy around them began to fluctuate violently, the entity once again calling for their attention as the pink bubble they were suspended in darkened to a marbled gray.

**"There are more revelations for the two of you before you will be allowed to return. Pay attention well, daughters, for what you learn here will decide the course of Fate once you leave this place. Take care to keep the previous actions of others from tainting your judgments now. And know, Shikon Miko, that your group is all that stands between the three worlds and utter annihilation.**

**"You ****_cannot_**** falter."**

With that final ominous warning, the two women felt the energies of the well begin to slip by them again, and following their instincts they stepped forward, walking the paths of Time. Instantly, they were in the middle of an unassuming field, the bright sky above them filled with the sounds of nature and a crisp wind urging them to continue on. In short order, they were dawn to a dilapidated hut at the furthermost edge of an otherwise ordinary village. From inside the house came the sounds of a woman's harsh voice raised in anger, coupled with the pained shrieks of a child.

Kagome felt bile rise in her throat when a child stumbled from the entrance of the structure, his unclothed back bleeding freely from multiple lash marks. This was undoubtedly the same child whose cries had punctured the early summer air, and both women felt helpless as they watched his mother chase after his retreating, malnourished form. Heedless of the arms he threw up in an attempt to ward off more blows, the enraged woman backhanded him, her coarse, bony knuckles splitting the tender flesh of his sunken cheek as he fell to the ground from the force of her assault.

Forgetting momentarily that they were merely observing a time that had come and gone, Kagome moved to defend the whimpering boy, placing her body between his trembling form and that of his mother. Drawing in breath to berate the violent and pathetic excuse for a mother standing before her, the miko felt the words die in her throat as the woman's next words reached her loud as clear. To the side where Kikyo remained standing, a gasp was heard, followed by a disbelieving glance exchanged with her companion. Swallowing, both women once again looked down at the tormented innocent curled into the ground weeping under his mother's harsh treatment. Conflicting emotions raged inside each of them as they realized it was this child that would one day cause both their deaths.


	22. Understanding Warning: Extreme Abuse

"I think I'm going to be sick."

Kikyo glanced at her pale companion, seeing the revulsion she felt mirrored in Kagome's tear-bright eyes. She jerked her head in agreement as another breathless grunt, followed by wet gurgles, pulled her unwilling gaze back to the gruesome scene they were witnessing. For hours now, the young man had pushed and pulled, slicing and stabbing at his father who was, unbelievably, still alive despite his numerous wounds. Crimson dripped from the dull weapon hovering above the mutilated body, searching for any unblemished flesh through which it could be plunged once more. As the blade flashed through the air, severing the murderous young man's remaining tethers to innocence, Kagome and Kikyo recalled everything that had brought them to this exact moment.

After discovering that the abused child was none other than Onigumo, both miko had been compelled forward, their feet and Time carrying them from one scene of torment to the next. Together, they had witnessed the horror that had consumed the young Onigumo's day to day life.

Overhearing the mother's fanatical ravings on numerous occasions, they realized that the deranged woman was convinced that her son was a changling. Whether a previous event was responsible for her belief, or she was simply caught up in some twisted delusion, neither miko could say; however, the result was the same.

Kagome and Kikyo had quickly learned that "Onigumo" was one of the many vicious slurs the innocent child was branded with by his venomous parents. From what they could tell, the boy had no real name, and would go for weeks at a time without being addressed in any fashion. Despite the relative safety such isolation offered, it was easy for both women to see that the young Onigumo, like any child, craved the approval, love and attention of his parents. Unfortunately, all such attention was colored by violence and cruelty. When he was addressed, it was often by some crass insult intended to remind him of how unwanted his existence was.

The family didn't have much, due to his father spending most of his earning on drink, and his mother spending the rest on frivolties such as make up or combs for her hair. As such, the young boy was treated like a burden, and any food or clothing he received was given grudgingly, or not at all. His mother in particular took measures to deprive the young child of basic needs as often as she could.

Once, after discovering that Onigumo had been feeding a stray dog with the scraps of his dinner, the cold harpy had forced him feed the dog to death as punishment. Sobbing with a heart-rending expression twisting his pinched features, the malnourished boy had shoved piece after piece of meat into the poor creature's mouth while his mother held the struggling pup and watched, the sharp angles of her face tight with apathy.

Only when the dog's body had finally given out, choking as it was stuffed to excess, did his mother relent, shoving the limp, distended body into his lap. Handing him a small blade, Onigumo's mother had harshly snapped, "Since that _mongrel_ has eaten your more than your fair share, you'll look to it for dinner this night or go without."

Kagome hadn't been able to watch as the glassy-eyed child started to cut the dead animal's belly open, gathering the partially digested and bloody scraps of meat into his fist before consuming them. It wasn't the first time she'd seen him forced to eat his food uncooked, nor would it be the last, but this had simply been too much for her to handle. Even Kikyo felt her stomach twist violently at the vulgar act Onigumo's mother had made him commit.

Another time, the boy's father had come home angry, with a wild look to him that sent shivers through both Kikyo and Kagome. Onigumo had tried to sneak out before his father could see him, but didn't move fast enough. The mortified women had watched helplessly as the beast had broken his son's arm, slammed him into the wall of the hut and beaten the child senseless. Time had begun skipping around after that like a tape on fast forward, from one incident to the next, never sparing them any detail of the nightmare that was Onigumo's life.

Silent spectators, Kagome and Kikyo saw every scar laid upon the boy's soul by those meant to protect and love him.

The weeks he spent chained outside during the day, his skin covered in angry sun blisters from the scorching heat, all for accidentally looking his mother in the eye.

The nights he spent bound hand and foot, forced to lay in his own urine if he couldn't hold it until the morning, and the punishments for failing to do so.

The moment they found out that his mother was the village miko, and watching as even the villagers shunned the frail Onigumo like a leper.

The afternoons he spent sitting in the doorway of the hut, watching for his father, moans of lust and the wet slapping of flesh filtering to him from where his mother _entertained_ a traveling monk who frequented their village.

The afternoon Onigumo fell asleep at his post, and was woken by his father's shouts as he discovered his wife's infidelity. That was the night he spent listening to his mother's screams as his father beat her nearly to death, and the morning after, Onigumo himself was punished for concealing the trysts from his father by having wasabi powder rubbed in his eyes.

Every hour was filled with never-ending agony and terror, and Kagome and Kikyo could do nothing but watch as the years passed in this fashion.

In his twelfth year, a badly bruised and beaten Onigumo had finally fled from his home after his mother had untied him in the morning. After two hours of running, exhaustion and his injuries had forced the undernourished youth to collapse on the side of the road. Limbs trembling and breath rasping harshly through cracked and bleeding lips, the young Onigumo was uncaring of the possible dangers in the area as the reality of his freedom settled through him. As the sky darkened, the weak boy had looked up, watching as the stars blinked into existence. He spent the entirety of the night awake, gazing towards the heavens as the moon slid across the velvety night.

As dawn approached, a smile filled with tentative hope crossed Onigumo's lips for the first time that either Kagome or Kikyo could recall. As they watched, the battered youth sat up slowly and clasped his hands in front of him, staring directly at the fading sliver of moon that had kept him company through the long night.

Kagome felt salty paths trickling down her face as a soft whisper reached her, marking the first time she'd heard him speak without screaming in pain. Turning to her companion, the young woman could see Kikyo's eyes also burned with sorrow at Onigumo's innocent words that revealed his heart's desire.

"I know that I am unworthy to ask for anything... but if I could have one wish, I... I'd want to be forgiven. I'd want to be forgiven for whatever I did to deserve my parent's anger and hatred." Tears crawled down their familiar tracks on his sunken cheeks, and his gentle voice cracked on them, sending splinters of compassion into his unseen audience's hearts. "I wish someone..._anyone_... would forgive me."

Light crested the horizon, as he spoke, washing the last remnants of the moon from the sky, and Onigumo rubbed at his eyes, wiping away the evidence of his sadness. It was a new day, his first away from the hatred that had been his home for twelve years, and the small boy was determined to never return.

Fate, however, was unconcerned with his plans: as he went to stand, a bone-chilling growl echoed from the trees behind him. In moments he was pinned by an okami youkai, claws digging painfully into his bony shoulders as menacing fangs lunged for his vulnerable throat.

"_No!_"

Kagome had instinctively darted forward, only remembering after her powers refused to heed her call that there was nothing she could do to help the already battered boy, to stop this demon of the past. Sharp fangs dug through tender flesh, miraculously missing his jugular vein even as powerful jaws tightened, crushing Onigumo's frail neck bit by bit. In the same instant, a large, familiar looking boomerang crashed into the large youkai's side, causing it to release it's hold on Onigumo's throat.

It was knocked into a nearby tree and, rather than stay and fight for it's kill, the okami youkai turned tail and disappeared into the forest. The Hiraikotsu was caught by a man with dark, depth-less eyes, dressed head to toe in demon slayer's garb. Upon seeing that Onigumo was still alive, although not conscious, the man looked torn between pursuing the fleeing youkai and tending to the young boy's injuries.

Swearing vibrantly at loosing his prey, the slayer picked up Onigumo's limp body and carried it to a nearby stream, where he set up camp and inspected the damage evident on the young boy. After tending to the punctures on his neck, the slayer did a cursory glance at the multiple bruises, scars and unhealed lacerations covering the small child's body. Kagome and Kikyo were surprised to see the man's face darken with anger, and watched as he moved to the other side of the fire from Onigumo.

"Was it just me, or did he seem to be angry _at_ Onigumo?" Kagome's voice was soft, her eyes pleading for Kikyo to tell her that she had misunderstood the slayer's silent assessment. The elder miko sighed, the sound heavy with displeasure as she responded, "There is a fair chance that he believes Onigumo did something to **deserve** every one of his injuries. If that is the case, then..."

Her voice trailed off at the understanding coating Kagome's face as the younger woman turned to look at the fragile youth. Coppery eyes brimmed with liquid sympathy, her voice wavering as she finished Kikyo's thought, "...then he's thinking he should have let Onigumo die."

Hours passed, and the moon was reaching its zenith when bruised eyelids finally fluttered open, a wheeze of pain signaling to the slayer of the boy's waking. Glaring at the prone body, the slayer spoke, his deep voice gravelly and filled with contempt. "Can you speak, child?"

Startled by the voice to his left, Onigumo turned his head sharply, wincing at the stabbing pain that resulted from his movements. Placing a shaking hand tenderly to the bandages at his throat, Onigumo remembered the man's question and tried to answer him... but all that came out was a coarse gurgle.

Pushing himself slowly into a sitting position, he tried again, his eyes widening as he realized he couldn't speak at all. Movement across from him drew his frightened gaze, and Onigumo froze as the slayer's larger calloused hands roughly shoved his own aside, prodding none too gently at the bandages over the wounds. Frowning, the slayer grunted, before leveling him with an annoyed glare.

"I saw the bruises, whelp. Your body is covered with them, and I can only _imagine_ what you could have done to deserve them." Standing, the slayer moved over to his pack to sit again, leaving the mute boy to his own devices. Without looking back at the child, the man continued harshly, "I'm guessing you ran away from home, right?"

Onigumo bowed his head, unable to answer the man with more than a nod. Kagome and Kikyo watched in horror as the slayer's cruel words laid into the defenseless Onigumo, who couldn't even explain the truth to his judgmental savior.

"Well, maybe you'll learn a lesson from this. There are orphans all across this land who would be glad to have the same parents you've so ungratefully run from." Piercing eyes moved to Onigumo's arms, where several scars and bruises were quite visible, even in the flickering light of the fire. Grunting as he pinned the youth with yet another withering glare, he continued to berate the boy, convinced he was a delinquent getting his comeuppance.

"From what I can tell, you seem to cause your folks quite a bit of trouble on a regular basis. Like the trouble you've caused me, making me lose my lead on that okami. Because of your selfish actions, that damn youkai will probably attack a village, or some innocent traveler. They'll _die_ because I wasn't able to exterminate the beast today due to having to save your sorry hide." He smiled an ugly, malicious smile. "Perhaps I should have let the wolf have you, hm?"

The slayers voice had steadily risen with his ire, his disgust with Onigumo lashing through the darkness and suffocating the small child. Still the man did not relent, and both women watched as what little light that had been alive in Onigumo's eyes was extinguished with each of this stranger's cruel words. "You'll be lucky if your parents take you back," the slayer scoffed, abruptly standing, prowling closer without turning his his hard gaze from the wilting boy, " but, nonetheless, I suggest you make haste back home come morning. I won't forgive you should I find out that okami killed an innocent while I was wasting my time with filth like you."

The slayer closed the distance between them, crouching until his face was inches apart from Onigumo's. When he spoke, his coarse voice was hardly stronger than a whisper, but as intimidating as Sesshomaru's silence during battle. "And should we cross paths again, know this: _I won't hesitate to remove the burden of your __**worthless**__ life._"

The two miko had watched the next morning as Onigumo stumbled back to his home, his eyes empty and dead as he willingly returned to his own personal hell.

Time swept them forward, through more years of torture, to the day when Onigumo turned 16... the day he slaughtered his parents.

Kikyo and Kagome witnessed as the teenager carefully laid his plans. His mother had begun sleeping with the monk again, and this time he was determined not to be punished for her indiscretion. After rooting through the monk's satchel, Onigumo found the herbs and incense his mother burned to make patients sleepy. Lighting several bundles in various corners of the hut, he waited until he saw the smoke begin to fill the hut before running to find his father in the fields.

Locating him quickly, Onigumo's eyes lit with mad delight at his father's furious expression, even as he cowered away from the enraged man after relaying his mother's current activities. Following him home, Onigumo waited outside as his father charged into the hut to find the two lovers passed out naked in the middle of the hut.

Hearing his father's intake of breath that always preceded the beginning of violence, Onigumo's face filled with desperate expectation. However, moments passed in silence, an empty stillness in which the young teen heard only his own rapid heartbeat and a muffled thud from the interior of the hut. Trembling, a dirty hand reached out to pull back the curtain flap from the doorway, and swallowing his nervousness, Onigumo leaned inside, allowing his eyes to adjust to the smoky gloom as he looked for his parents.

When he finally located them, the teen began to shake harder as he moved into the room, protectively covering his face so that the smoke wouldn't affect him too. There were three bodies huddled on the floor in various poses, eyes wide and staring in their pale faces. His mother was leaning against the entrance to the bedroom, her kimono bunched at her waist, leaving her pale small, pale beasts exposed. It looked like the monk had been crawling for the entrance, for his body was in the center of the room on his stomach, one arm outstretched in front of him, his eyes rolled back into his head. The most disturbing though was his father's body, still convulsing on the floor where it had fallen next to the dead monk.

Blood-shot eyes were wide with pain as tears, snot and saliva ran down his face, mingling together with the sweat beading across his quickly bleaching skin. His father reached for him, fingers twitching in pain as the toxins in the room worked through his system with deadly intent. Onigumo shrunk away from the gasping man in terror, cringing both from the hand that had beaten him on numerous occasions and the reality of what he had done. It took him mere moments to realize he had burned the wrong herbs, and in doing so murdered his mother and her lover.

Onigumo's panicked mind fractured at the realization, and a mad light entered his eyes. Staring into his father's face with a manic determination, the youth quickly gathered the remaining herbs and stamped them out, rushing to air the hut out least he too fall prey to the poisonous vapors.

Once a strong breeze was filtering through the small hut, Onigumo returned to his father's side, nervous anticipation quivering through his body as he took in the older man's prone state. Taking his father's dagger in hand, he roughly drove it through the man's ribs, quickly withdrawing from striking distance in case the vicious male was faking and decided to retaliate. After a moment of nothing other than a moist grumbling from the still form of his father, Onigumo crept back to his side, his eyes shadowed from his father's wide-eyed gaze.

Kagome and Kikyo looked on with twin expression of horror at what they knew was coming. Voice wavering under the emotional strain of what he was about to do, and what would happen if he didn't, Onigumo addressed his father directly for the first time he could remember.

"Goodbye, father."

The teen had then spent the last few hours slowly killing his father as they watched. Kagome made a gagging noise, choking down the bile that had risen to her throat when the young Onigumo had once more freed the dagger from his father's body, licking the blade's blood-slick edge with relish. Closing her eyes, unable to handle the images before her any longer, the young woman whimpered, "Please let it be over soon."

Kikyo silently agreed, but wouldn't allow herself to escape the sight before them both. She didn't condemn Kagome for not wanting to watch, because the younger woman had grown up in a time apart from such violence. Reaching a comforting arm around her friend, Kikyo bore witness for both of them. Gaze unwavering, the normally unflappable woman watched as Onigumo slowly murdered his father, along with the last remnants of anything good within him.

She could understand the sick sense of justice in his actions, but with every effort-filled thrust of the knife, she could see Onigumo's soul darkening, losing the last vestiges of light and purity he had managed to retain throughout the years of his torment. Both woman had eventually been reduced to covering their ears, unable to stomach the sounds of the youth's revenge on his brutal parents... despite however much they deserved such a fate. Finally, the noises ceased, and Kagome and Kikyo watched as the last of Onigumo's humanity slipped away, consumed by hatred and insanity.

Time whipped them forward again, skipping through the years to the moment when Onigumo pulled his fire ravaged body from the river near Kikyo's village. How he had survived the fall off the cliff Rasestu had him thrown from was unknown, but both miko knew that unless he received medical attention, he would soon die. Hardly able to move, Onigumo had nearly resigned himself to his fate when a shadow fell across his face, and looking up, the injured bandit caught sight of a large crow with three legs. Kikyo and Kagome felt understanding swamp them as the broken man filled with darkness followed the bird to a familiar cave... and Kikyo herself.


	23. Consuming

Looking to where the rest of the group slept across the clearing, Sesshomaru allowed his gaze to linger on his brother. Tonight was the new moon, and despite reservations from years of vulnerability on his human night, InuYasha had displayed an impressive amount of trust in Sesshomaru by succumbing to his body's need for rest. Sun-burnished eyes swept across the glittering darkness overhead. Three days had passed since his talk with the taijiya, five since Kikyo and Kagome had disappeared into the embrace of Time. Sesshomaru continued to stand vigil over the well, his mind consumed with thoughts of the tiny priestess and the lingering question Sango had posed.

_We all have stars we recognize, Sesshomaru... is _Kagome_ one of yours?_

A cool wind pressed down on him as though pushing him for an answer he didn't have. Despite all efforts to define his emotions and motives concerning the young woman from the future, the normally unruffled lord was, for lack of a better word, flummoxed.

In the year since the Jewel had vanished, and in the months since she had recklessly thrown herself on the back of the oni in a misguided attempt to help him, Kagome had defied all of his efforts to define her. She smiled when others would cry, became angry over the most trifling matters and exercised more wisdom during difficult times than many others much older and more experienced than herself.

Sesshomaru already knew, and accepted, the fact that he respected her and often found her optimistic attitude a vibrant flavor on a jaded palate. However, over the past few nights, he had been forced to reluctantly admit that his feelings for the volatile woman went far deeper than that of an ally, although just _how far_ continued to elude him. Sesshomaru was unaccustomed to having to actively think about his relationships with others, as people normally fit into one of two categories: those who were alive, and those who wouldn't be shortly. The miko had frequently crossed the line between the two, and now she didn't really fit into either. Thus his current predicament.

For all his stoicism, the taiyoukai was still inu, and he knew that his loyal and protective nature had become attached to Kagome over time, treating her as he would a member of his pack. He felt similar emotions with Rin, but it was different in significant ways that he had not noticed until recently. Thoughts turning to the precious child who shadowed his every footstep, Sesshomaru felt warmth spread through his chest.

It was Rin's strength and courage that had turned him from the path of supreme conquest. In the years since he had met the mute child covered in bruises and a smile, Rin had helped him grow exponentially stronger. Through her actions and loyalty, Sesshomaru realized that the true path to ultimate power was not measured in _how much_ strength he gained through conquest, but in what he _did_ with that strength.

She was his northern light, a guiding star in the darkness his universe had become, leading him back to life.

Sesshomaru closed his eyes, a frown pinching the corners of his mouth as he debated with hiself internally. '_Rin's place with me is simple. I wish to protect her by instructing the girl in the realities of the world. I want to teach her how to protect herself from both physical and emotional injury in the event that I cannot be there._' The taiyoukai scoffed at the thought of there being a time when he would not be there for his tiny ward. Sesshomaru knew that if Rin ever needed him, he would find his little girl and remove all threats to her happiness as they arose. Though reluctant to accept how attached he was to the child, Sesshomaru knew Rin was his daughter, a member of his pack and most definitely one of his stars. '_But_ she...'

Sun-steeped orbs flashed open to glare with frustration into the unresponsive depths of the well, for while he knew Kagome **was** different, the imposing inu still had no answer as to her role in his pack.

The brazen miko was already capable of protecting herself and those around her, imbued with a fortitude born from her genuine love for life. The young woman never settled for the realities of the world- instead she faced them with a smile, challenging the accepted truths in favor of supporting unrealized dreams, hopes, and everything that _could _be.

In her cinnamon-warmed eyes, Sesshomaru had found a companion who understood the burden of responsibility yet dealt with it in a completely different capacity; where others would have become trapped by their duties, as he sometimes did, Kagome embraced the opportunities afforded her as a result of her obligations in both the past and present.

And yet, regardless of her independent nature, he still wanted to protect her - he _needed_ to protect her.

Glancing again at the group across the clearing, Sesshomaru recalled the conversation he'd overheard between his brother and the monk. He had only caught parts of it towards the end of his own conversation with Sango, but he distinctly heard his brother mention that fact that Kagome, amongst others, had given everything to protect _his_ happiness. Eyes narrowed with irritation, and Sesshomaru's claws itched to bury themselves into his half-brother's hide as he thought of the numerous sacrifices the miko had made for the whelp.

'_He is undeserving of such loyalty, yet I cannot fault _her_ for her indiscriminate heart._' Calming himself, the silver inu returned to his previous train of thought with a dissatisfied hum. As he considered this new aspect of Kagome's devotion to the hanyou and her other friends, a question floated to the surface of his mind: who protected Kagome's happiness? When all the tenacious woman's smiles, laughter, and energies were spent on her pack's contentment and well-being, who was looking after her own?

While the youkai lord held no doubts that this nurturing brought her a measure of true joy and fulfillment, he also knew that this was how he could protect the enigma that was Kagome: he would help protect her happiness, by reminding her to not forget _herself_ in caring for others. He would not allow her to neglect her own heart in her quest to save everyone else's.

Full lips relaxed into a hint of a smile as Sesshomaru's turbulent emotions finally quieted in light of his resolve. The breeze that brushed past him was like a sigh of relief, as though nature itself approved of his decision in regards to Kagome.

Turning his face once more to the fading glamor of night, he felt his gut tighten in resignation as the stars above winked out of existence, because even with his epiphany, he did not know the answer to the demon slayer's question. He did not have many stars in his life... but _was_ Kagome one of them?

A flux of power slammed through him from behind, derailing his train of thought. Lifting his arm to shield his eyes, Sesshomaru swiftly turned to the blinding light billowing from the depths of the ancient well. When the light began to fade, the normally calm youkai lord rushed to the edge of the derelict structure, his searching gaze widening at the sight- and sound- that greeted him.

'_Her heart... I can hear her heart beating._' Reaching down as far as he could, Sesshomaru's clawed hand was clasped firmly by a smaller, more feminine one. '_Kagome... she's alive!_'

Pulling swiftly, and with more care than he might have used just five days previous, Sesshomaru easily lifted both Kagome and Kikyo from the magical structure. As they settled themselves on the lip of the well, Kikyo released her hold around the younger woman's waist in favor of clutching Kagome's free hand in both of her own. Neither of the women spoke as twin sets of copper and rust eyes filled with sisterly understanding before turning to acknowledge him. Giving a nod of thanks to Sesshomaru, Kikyo shared one last, knowing look with Kagome before rising and heading swiftly towards the little camp in the clearing.

Golden eyes never left Kagome's content features as she quietly watched Kikyo's retreating form, and the taiyoukai was startled to realize she hadn't let go of his hand. Before he could decide whether he wanted to pull away or pull her closer, Kagome's warm eyes slid back to him. Her gaze pinned him in place, a radiant smile stretching her lips, transforming her expression with pure joy.

Shocking him further, the euphoric miko barreled into his middle, hugging him without reserve or pretense. Sesshomaru felt his own arms respond to the freely offered affection and firmly wrap around her soft body. The taiyoukai rarely engaged in physical displays of emotion, yet it didn't even occur to him to resist the affectionate embrace the small woman had initiated. Pale lashes rested along the refined crest of alabaster cheeks as Sesshomaru allowed himself to revel in Kagome's touch. Moments passed in silence, neither of them willing to give up the quiet celebration raging through both their bodies. When Kagome did relinquish her hold, she stepped away from him only to warmly grasp his hand once more.

"I **knew** you'd come for me, Sesshomaru."

The certainty in her voice swept through the demon lord's body in a flood of pleased heat; she had never lost faith in him even when he'd lost faith in himself. As he contemplated how such a fragile woman could harbor such unwavering confidence, light spilled over the horizon behind Kagome, outlining her beaming face in a golden blaze. Though beautiful in its own right, the dawn's resplendent blush paled in comparison to the light of pure joy illuminating the petite miko's steady, trust-filled gaze.

And as he stood there, basking in the glowing inferno that was Kagome, alive and whole and very much _still holding tightly to his hand_, Sesshomaru found his answer to Sango's inquiry: this bold, vibrant woman could never be described as a mere star, weakly gleaming out of the darkness, lost amongst the thousands of stars struggling to let their radiance be seen.

No, Kagome was not one of his stars; he had enough of those in Rin, his father and mother, and even his annoying half-brother. Clawed fingers wrapped determinedly around the dainty hand pressed into his own as Sesshomaru realized that, for him, Kagome was so much more. She was a sunrise, consuming the lingering darkness and revealing the beautiful possibilities of each new day.

She was _his_ sunrise.

Magatsuhi cursed vibrantly, his own vocals twisting Naraku's voice into something discordant and unnatural.

Using Kanna's mirror, the possessing demon and his hanyou host had observed the return of both miko with growing rage. He had killed the damned wench himself! Magatsuhi had even gone to the trouble months ago to make certain the Tensaiga wouldn't be able to bring her back! It had taken him months to plan that most perfect scenario where Kagome would run into the demon lord being attacked without her precious hanyou nearby - to ensure she felt the need to intervene, and then injure her critically before Sesshomaru could react.

Yet the meddlesome bitch stood, glowing with health next to the other greatest threat to his machinations. On top of that, it looked like Kikyo had also been completely restored to life, further endangering his existence.

Lashing out in anger, Magatsuhi grabbed the small void demoness and slammed her into a nearby wall, satisfaction running through him as a fractures ran across the surface of her pale, childlike body.

Naraku cringed within himself, anger and trepidation warring for dominance, because while he hadn't exactly agreed to having his body possessed, he'd been initially pleased by the results of the joining - the look on Sesshomaru and the other's faces; the pain and fear that had enveloped Kagome's scent as he tortured her... it had all been frighteningly glorious.

And yet... the longer Magatsuhi remained in control, the more he realized that he was once again trapped, just as he had been when he was a child, and the lack of control, the inability to fight back against the strength of the demon manipulating his body was chipping away at his patience.

He was no longer a nameless weakling - he had abandoned his past and was now Naraku, the most dangerous being in all of Nippon. After the indignities he had suffered at the hands of others, the demented hanyou refused to become powerless. He hadn't done all of this for nothing, had he? He hadn't sacrificed his blackened soul only to be controlled by one more depraved...right?

'_No_,' he thought, denial and rage bending wickedly throughout his spirit. '_I am the puppet master here, _I_ control the strings of Fate in this game. No one manipulates me..._no one_. And I will not allow this relic of hatred to push me back into a past I killed to be free from._'

With this thought in mind, the dark hanyou pushed his aura outward, trying to reassert his control over his own body. After long moments, a dark chuckle echoed from his throat as Magatsuhi felt his wasted efforts.

"Foolish hanyou... you think to reject **me**?" The hanyou watched his eyes glowed a sinister violet in the reflection of the mirror still clutched by Kanna's delicate hands. As his face was warped into a demented grin, Naraku cringed back from the consuming malevolence surging around his inner prison, hissing in pain as it fastened tightly around his consciousness.

What little influence he'd been able to exercise up to this point was leeched away, along with his strength, leaving the trussed up Naraku at the mercy of the Shikon Demon, now in full control. "I may have failed to kill Kagome, but I can still stop the prophecy." Naraku felt the beginnings of malicious madness, so familiar and yet so strange, curl around the fuzzy edges of his stolen consciousness. "She can't locate the Jewel without bringing together the three Imperial Treasures. And that won't be possible...

"...if I kill _you_."


	24. Reconciled

The cool scent of fresh honeysuckle and crushed mint roused the slumbering Inuyasha from his memories. He had been dreaming of Kikyo, and of the first time they had kissed, her lips warm and pliant beneath his own. Even now, the hanyou swore he felt the soft brush of her mouth, tasted the spicy-sweetness of her heated breath as it fanned across his cheek in gentle murmurs. Reluctant to let go of his memories for the waking world just yet, it took InuYasha a moment to realize that smooth fingers were holding his cheeks lovingly as a heartrendingly familiar voice chanted his name insistently. Amber eyes flashed open in an instant, all of his senses focusing on the woman kneeling over him, still tenderly cradling his face.

"K-Kikyo...?" His voice was heavy with sleep and her name slipped from his lips with an edge of uncertainty; doubt in his senses making him hesitate even as he was graced with a blinding smile. Maple-colored eyes glowed with hope, anticipation and unfettered love as InuYasha continued to stare, convinced that the kami's were toying with him. His dream had been so vivid, the soft cadence of her voice and the textures of her skin so real... he had to be dreaming still. Dreaming, or... perhaps his mind had finally cracked under the stress.

'_I can't be this lucky..._'

Too afraid to hope that the ethereal vision before him was real, the stunned hanyou raised a trembling claw to trail carefully down a rosy cheek. Cupping her face, he brushed a few dark strands of her hair behind the delicate shell of her ear with a painstaking deliberateness. One of her hands left his face, moving to clasp his own hand where it now rested on her neck, the calloused pad of his thumb feeling each life-proving beat of her heart.

'_...beating. I can feel her heart beating!_'

At the feel of the pulse jumping in her throat, a mad desperation seized the red-clad hanyou, urging him to confirm what his senses were screaming at him. He jerked Kikyo closer, forgoing gentleness as he took a deep breath, burying his sensitive nose against her shoulder. Again, he was overcome with the cool-sweet scent of honeysuckle and mint leaves, a smell that he'd not come across in over fifty years. A smell that was uniquely Kikyo; warm and alive and _here_.

"I'm sorry, InuYasha," Kikyo whispered, her quiet words easily reaching his ears. His brow furrowed in confusion even as she smoothed her elegant fingers across it, swiping through his tousled bangs with an apologetic smile. "I'm always making you wait for me."

A breathtaking grin crossed the hanyou's face, his eyes bright with an adoration reserved solely for the woman still kneeling in front of him. Tugging Kikyo into a firm embrace, his nose lightly brushed against hers as her cheeks tinted prettily - another reminder of her very flesh and blood body.

Nipping her lip in a gentle reprimand, InuYasha chuckled at her flustered expression, the vibrations reverberating through his chest deep into her heart. Leaning his forehead against hers, he responded in a voice filled with sincere devotion

"You're worth the wait."

Cinnamon and honeyed eyes watched the tender reunion from where they remained by the well, a soft smile gracing the face of the smaller of the two figures.

Kagome and Sesshomaru were content to keep their distance for now, Kagome not wanting to intrude on InuYasha and Kikyo's private moment, Sesshomaru simple enjoying the fact that the tiny miko was with him at all.

As this thought passed through his mind, the taiyoukai looked down to his hand, which Kagome had only recently let go of in order to move forward slightly, giving her a better vantage to watch the couple across the field. The heat from her hand had seeped into his flesh, and even now lingered, a reassuring flush tingling across the surface of his palm.

The sky was still tinted with soft pinks and oranges as the day breathed warmth into the still cool morning air, and a wispy breeze caught in his silent companion's dark locks, carrying with it the unique flavor that was Kagome to his nose. Inhaling the titillating mix of zesty yuzu and ripe peaches, Sesshomaru allowed himself to enjoy the momentary peace that accompanied the bright, summery scent.

"So..." Kagome began, breaching the comfortable silence with a hesitant voice. "How long has it been since I... since...?"

Her voice trailed off, still discomforted with the idea that she had been dead despite the positive outcome. When Sesshomaru did not answer, she chanced a look at him from beneath her lashes, startled to find him staring directly at her. Fathomless eyes held her captive as he moved closer, invading the young woman's personal space in a way she'd never seen him do with anyone he wasn't about to introduce to his claws.

Yet, regardless of her rising nervousness at his proximity, she knew that there was nothing for her to fear from him- he wasn't going to hurt her. Steeling herself, the resilient woman resisted the instinct to retreat as he crowded closer, his commanding presence nearly overwhelming her senses. Dark eyes widened when he grasped her chin in his surprisingly warm, rough fingers, raising her face so that no part of her expression was hidden from his enthralling gaze.

"This Sesshomaru is sorry for not getting there sooner." The deep baritone of his voice was filled with a sincere regret that rocked the small miko to the depths of her soul.

Brows furrowing, she stared into his eyes, trying to understand the maelstrom of emotions pouring from behind his unflinching stare. There was something significant in his intense gaze, and Kagome found herself wanting to soothe away the pain and guilt lurking beneath the surface.

Slowly, she reached up and held the hand still tilting her chin between her two smaller ones, pleased to see his eyes widen fractionally in surprise. The light of the sun washed across his pale face, lending color to his cheeks and catching against the textures of his eyes, making them glimmer. Her memory flashed, and Kagome recalled the moments after Kikyo had awoken in the Well when, for an instant, she had seen Sesshomaru's face in her melancholy; when she had seen his eyes staring with this same light chasing across their surface. A distantly familiar tingling bubbled to life in her stomach, and she resisted the urge to squirm in discomfort at the feelings the memory and his gaze inspired.

'_Why?_' The miko silently mused, breaking eye contact to study the claw-tipped fingers resting in her grasp as though they held the answers to her turbulent thoughts. While it was true that she no longer fostered any romantic feelings for her hanyou friend, Kagome hadn't truly thought about _any _males since her heart had made the choice to let InuYasha go. Now, however, her senses were bombarded with every night she had dreamed of Sesshomaru over the past months; with the look in his tawny eyes as he had rushed towards her in the clearing; with the sound of curiosity in his voice as she lay dying from an oni's claw, asking _her _why?

'_Why...'_ The young miko asked herself again, looking into his impassive expression which revealed nothing even as it spoke volumes, '_...are you the center of all my thoughts, Sesshomaru?_'

Kagome knew that she had a tendency to care more for others than they did for her, to file them into a corner of her heart as friend and family when all they saw was a brash, temperamental pain-in-the-neck ally, and as she continued to hold Sesshomaru's gaze, she knew that she'd done the same thing with the handsome demon standing before her. Whether he liked it or not, Kagome knew in her heart that the taciturn Lord of the West had become more than an ally, or even friend. He was family.

Frowning, Kagome tried for a moment to fit him into their group, but felt the wrongness of treating him like a brother or cousin, and despite his much greater age, had no intention of placing him in the position of father in their group.

Deciding to deal with the particulars of her feelings for him later, Kagome's thoughts turned once more to his apology, and all it meant. She was determined to be reconciled with him but didn't want him to feel any blame for the events in the clearing. The silence between them stretched out as she thought everything through before coming to a decision.

Smiling brightly, confusing the poor youkai in front of her even more, Kagome answered with confidence, "I'm **not**."

Seeing Sesshomaru's face blanch visibly at her declaration, the petite miko couldn't hold in her mirth at his reaction. Giggling, she explained, "When Kikyo and I went in the Well, we were both given not only another chance at life, but our own, complete souls. On top of that, we gained a lot of information that I know is going to help us end everything, once and for all."

She squeezed his hand firmly, willing him to understand as she reasoned, "Think about it Sesshomaru. If I hadn't died, I would never have been complete. Kikyo wouldn't be alive now, and we'd be chasing our tails for who knows how long on this quest-"

"You suffered needlessly. You are pack and I failed to protect you not _once_, but **three times**!" Sesshomaru's curt retort cut her off, his self-loathing evident in his voice.

Kagome watched as he looked away, concern for him washing over her. Mimicking his previous actions, she reached up, pulling his gaze back to her by gently brushing her fingers along his jawline. Smile still firmly in place, she countered, " You only fail when you've given up, and you _never_ gave up on me Sesshomaru.

"So don't start now." Her voice was adamant, the rebuke belied only by the mischievous smirk she allowed to replace the formerly reassuring smile.

The imposing lord's eyes froze as he was caught between her words and the dark thoughts he'd punished himself with for the past week. Not relenting, Kagome continued, resolute in her belief that everything that had happened was meant to happen.

"Failure or success," she asserted, "is determined by how we react to adversity. When you gained the Bakusaiga, you succeeded in surpassing your father in power and strength, but only because you _failed_ to attain the Tetsusaiga." She smiled encouragingly, watching as he digested her words. "The same way that in _failing_ to save me me in that one moment, you gave both Kikyo and I true salvation."

Kagome's expression was earnest, her aura fluctuating with her emotions as she finished, waiting for him to react, to say something that told her he understood.

Sesshomaru was stunned speechless, and as the moments passed, the irrefutable logic from the spitfire gripping his hand fervently soothed the frayed edges of his hurt pride. He had only apologized after her uncomfortable question had reminded him of his failure to keep her from suffering Magatsuhi's machinations. His intention had been to grant her some peace of mind, and yet she'd turned it around so that he was the one feeling relieved instead. Unknowingly mimicking his younger brother's reaction from earlier, the killing perfection graced Kagome with a rare smile, this one filled with camaraderie and appreciation.

For her part, Kagome was so caught off-guard by the grin that she failed to hear what he said next. Shaking her head to clear it, the absent-minded girl asked him to repeat what he'd said.

A smirk still lingering at the corners of his mouth, Sesshomaru said again, "You asked how long it had been since you and the other miko went into the Well. It has been a full five days and nights since that time."

The taiyoukai was surprised when Kagome's mouth fell open in shock, dismay coloring her features. A small whimper escaped the stupefied woman as her hands swung limply to her sides. When she dropped into a crouch, hands holding onto both sides of her head still without uttering a single word, Sesshomaru began to worry. Kneeling down beside her, Sesshomaru's hands hovered over her shoulders, suddenly uncomfortably aware of her personal space, before lightly resting on them, shaking her gently.

"Kagome? What is it?"

The miko raised distressed brown eyes to focus on him, a pout forming on her lips as her voice wavered brokenly, crying out, "I missed my own birthday!"

Kagome continued to stare at him, distraught, while Sesshomaru could only returned her gaze with a blank expression, one that felt somewhat forced and out of place, despite it being his default visage. Moments ticked passed, and the taiyoukai could only blink at the ridiculousness of it all.

'_She has been tortured, killed and reborn all within the past week, yet she is upset because she missed her _birthday?'

Sesshomaru quickly stood, turning his back to her as he covered his mouth with his hand, uncertain he would be able to maintain his composure if he continued looking at Kagome's completely ridiculous sulk. His abrupt movement snapped the woman in question out of her melancholy, and she started to ask him if he was okay before she noticed his shoulders shaking.

"Sesshomaru... are you _**laughing at me?!**_" Kagome's incredulity was replaced by indignation once she realized what exactly could have been the source of his unprecedented good humor.

Unfortunately, her annoyed query only pushed the taiyoukai over the edge, and with the most undignified noise to ever escape his person, the great and terrible Lord Sesshomaru snorted before breaking out in full blown gales of laughter.


	25. Decisions

Sango startled awake at the indignant screech from across the field, her head swiveling towards the well in concern; concern which was quickly followed by a swamping relief when she spotted Kagome's petite form. Jubilation bubbled through her veins as she took in her friend's irate expression, a single thought breathing against her awareness.

'_She's __**alive**__..._'

Her joy at her friend's return was short-lived however, and rosy orbs widened in disbelief at the new, unexpected sound following on the tail of the outraged cry that had woken her.

Listening to the buttery chuckle spilling from Sesshomaru's lips with disbelief, the taijiya scrubbed at her eyes with the heels of her hands before squinting at the inuyoukai's mirthful grin once more. Certain that she was having a stress-induced delusion, Sango turned swiftly to wake her companions, hoping they'd be able to set her straight.

However, reality as she knew it was not on her side. The poor woman was instead **completely** knocked off kilter by the scene that awaited her in the form of Kikyo wantonly straddling InuYasha. Jaw dropping open as her eyes bugged even more, Sango felt her face heating at the rather passionate lip-lock her hanyou friend was engaged in with the _normally_ reserved miko.

With a lurch, the young taijiya's strategic brain stuttered to a halt, incapable of processing the oddities that had greeted her this morning. Teeth creaking as she clenched them, Sango felt suspicion creep along her spine, and she closed her eyes and covered her ears, determined to shut her senses off for a moment so she could think.

'_This has got to be Naraku at work! InuYasha's older brother doesn't _laugh_ much less smile anymore than InuYasha does...does..._THAT_ where people can see!_ Peeking out through her lashes, Sango quickly closed her eyes again, pretending she _hadn't_ just witnessed her friend grabbing Kikyo's bottom like he was the lecherous houshi on a mission.

'_Ugh... maybe its a dream. No, more like a _nightmare_! That's it! I'm caught in a nightmare! I'll wake up any second now to Miroku touching me inappropriately in places he-should-__**not**__-be-touching!_'

Hands still firmly over her ears, the beleaguered slayer studied the back of her eyelids with the same determination Kagome had right before an exam, and whimpered to herself, "Somebody pinch me already."

The words had barely escaped before an all-too-familiar hand was eagerly goosing her bottom, startling an embarrassed squeal from the furiously blushing woman. The high-pitched noise finally penetrated through the passionate fog that suffused InuYasha and Kikyo's minds, and with a rather impressive display of speed, the two lovers disengaged. An abashed flush stained their cheeks as InuYasha and Kikyo realized they'd been caught behaving like... well, like the man currently fondling his favorite bit of Sango's anatomy with a gratified smile plastered on his face.

For Sango's part, irritation swiftly replaced her state of denial, and with an indignant cry, the annoyed taijiya grabbed Hiraikotsu, slamming it with deadly accuracy into the unrepentant Miroku's head.

"**HENTAI!**"

~o~

'_I'm coming guys..._' Kagome was running ahead of the group, eager to see the children again and let them know she was alright. If there was one thing she honestly despised, it was making others worry needlessly, especially if she was the cause. And after a week of thinking she was dead, the miko was certain Shippo and Rin needed the reassurance of seeing her.

Both children had witnessed their parents' violent deaths, and while this made them no strangers to loss, Kagome refused to allow them to suffer through that again. Over the past year, the young woman had grown to love Rin as dearly as her mischievous kit, and knew that she had become like a mother to each of them. Legs protesting as she strained to go faster, she was determined to make certain neither of them went a moment longer believing they'd lost _another_ parent.

A slash of white in her peripheral caught Kagome's eye, and a glance confirmed that Sesshomaru was easily keeping pace with her.

When she had expressed her desire to see the children, he had graciously offered to take her to the village post-haste, and while the offer had been appealing, she had stubbornly declined, still slightly perturbed at being laughed at but mostly wanting to get there under her own power.

Still, after her short conversation with the daiyoukai by the well, Kagome could understand why he would be reluctant to allow her out of his sight. With Naraku still unaccounted for and possessed by the demon of the Shikon, who seemed intent on killing _her_ specifically, even she could agree that she had no business begrudging the taiyoukai his self-imposed protection detail. If she were being honest with herself, his concern for her safety was touching, considering the source. But, as nice as it was that Sesshomaru, of all people, wanted to protect her, it was also a harsh reminder of others - her friends, and especially her family - who probably felt the same way.

Often, before the well had stopped allowing her through, the young woman could see the anxiety hidden deep in her mother's eyes whenever she returned home with an injury. Kagome couldn't help the regret that lanced through her when she realized how much that fear must have grown every day she didn't return at all. It had been so long since she'd been able to go home and reassure her family that she was okay, and happy and _alive_. She missed her mother's calm words of wisdom, her grandfather's ridiculous stories about their ancestors and her brother's faith-filled eyes as he looked at her like she was his idol. Eyes burning in response to her thoughts, the young woman realized how much she simply missed _home_.

'_I'm so sorry Mama, Souta..._' Pushing herself to go faster, Kagome didn't notice the flow of tears that were trailing behind her, wiped from her cheeks before they could leave traces of her sorrows. '_I'm sorry I can't be there._'

A voice to her left startled the young woman, and she turned to see that Sesshomaru had closed the distance between them so that they were only inches apart. She resisted the urge to adjust her gait to the right to gain some personal space, feeling mildly discomforted by the powerful youkai's proximity. Having completely missed what he'd said in her distraction, Kagome shot him a questioning look before turning her attention back to where she placed her feet.

"This Sesshomaru merely stated," the taiyoukai replied, his placid tones reaching her easily, "that even in 500 years time, the stars will still be the same as those now... even if you cannot _see_ them, correct?"

Kagome's stride faltered at the familiar words, ones that she had used to console Sango not so long ago, when the taijiya was grieving the seeming loss of her only remaining family. The same words her mother had shared with _her_ after her father had died.

Sliding to a halt, the panting miko tried to understand the meaning behind his question. The regal inu paused beside her, his cool composure a sharp contrast to the woman staring at him, sweat pearling against her smooth skin.

"How-"

"You once spoke about _possibilities_." Sesshomaru's smooth baritone forestalled her question before it could leave her lips, and with it came more memories; memories of a subdued conversation about loved ones that were out of reach. It had been a conversation preceded by thoughts similar to those she'd just been entertaining. Realization tickled along the edges of her heart as he continued, topaz eyes communicating everything his reserved speech did not.

"This one would think that stars, even those hidden from sight, hold more possibilities than an empty chair."

She could hear their original conversation once more, and couldn't help but feel ashamed at the pessimism she'd exuded that night.

_They're probably ignoring the empty chair where I should be sitting. Each of them thinking about, but not voicing the possibility... that I might never come home._

Holding a hand over her chest, Kagome realized that when she had made her decision, so had her family. Despite however much they worried, they had decided to have _faith_ in _her_. Somehow, she realized that it didn't matter how many months had passed- because as long as there were stars, there was hope. While the miko knew logically that her destiny was here, in the past, sometimes she couldn't help the guilt that bled through her at the thought of her family, and what they must be suffering due of her choices, but now...

Kagome felt the pain that had been searing her conscience temper, becoming bearable. Heart considerably lighter, the young woman accepted that she couldn't return that faith with doubt and regret. Not as long as she held her mother's words close to her heart; _not_ when there were still _possibilities_...

"Thank you, Sesshomaru."

Kagome couldn't fathom how Sesshomaru had divined the cause for her sorrow, but she was grateful nonetheless. The melancholy that had dampened her spirit receded, replaced once more with the need to see Shippo and Rin. Shooting the patiently waiting youkai a devious grin, the ebony-haired woman cheekily dared, "Race you to the village- last one there has to hug Jaken!"

A giggle escaped her at the perturbed expression that crossed Sesshomaru's face when she issued the paltry consequence, and without a backwards glance the young woman took off once more, running with renewed vigor and determination. Kagome knew she had no chance of outrunning the silver inuyoukai, yet she couldn't keep the smile off her face when she realized he was once again running at her side, but ever-so-slightly ahead. While she seriously doubted he'd actually take the penalty even if he _allowed_ her to win, it was amusing to note that he was taking her challenge seriously enough to keep the lead. And the miko harbored no delusions of any outcome where she won in which Sesshomaru had not _allowed_ her to do so.

As the village came into view, she laughed recklessly in light of her imminent defeat and pushed herself harder, an entirely different goal on her mind.

'_Almost there..._"

She saw Ah-Un and Jaken first, standing guard on either side of the doorway. Sesshomaru, as expected, reached the hut before her and was accosted by his wailing retainer, who promptly wrapped his spindly arms around Sesshomaru's mokomoko with relish. Deciding to gloat later at the fact that Jaken had hugged him regardless of him winning, Kagome ignored the mild discomfort of her laboring lungs in favor of announcing her return.

"SHIPPO! RIN!" She couldn't get to the hut fast enough, and continued to pump her exhausted legs, anxious to see the faces she'd missed so much. "Shippo! Rin!"

At her call, two small figures exploded from the hut in a tangle of limbs, tripping over each other in their haste to erase any doubt that it was her. Wide eyes filled with watery relief as delighted cries greeted the exhausted miko.

"Kagome-sama!"

"Okaa-san!"

The children launched themselves at her, closing the distance between them in moments and the young woman dropped to her knees, heedless of the rocks cutting into her skin as Rin and Shippo tackled her.

"I'm back, sweetlings. I'm okay, everything's okay," she crooned, her voice steady as she offered them the same comfort her mother had given her on numerous occasions.

Kagome reveled in the moment, whispering endearments to both sniffling children. Tiny, grasping claws and blunt, pinching fingernails fisted in her shirt and she held their quivering bodies firmly, hands stroking their backs in soothing motions.

"You were d-dead..." Shippo whimpered, his voice holding a note of accusation. Arms tightened in response to the kit's claim. The miko wanted to tell him she hadn't wanted to leave him; that she hadn't _wanted_ to die, but she knew that it would be pointless against his child's logic; because the fact was she _had_ left him.

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere," she promised softly. The rest of the group arrived to find Kagome rocking the clinging children softly, her cheek resting on top of Shippo's auburn head as she wiped at the tears glistening against Rin's dirt-smudged cheeks.

~o~

Sesshomaru watched as Kagome continued to murmur assurances to each child, a warm smile ever present on her face as she gazed adoringly at the little ones who had been beside themselves with worry. He felt a tingle of warmth lace through his chest when her gaze turned briefly to him, eyes clearly transmitting her joy .

Rin noticed the direction of her look and turned to see her lord standing nearby. With a final squeeze of the miko's neck, Rin stood and quickly rushed to him, smiling up at him with gratitude-filled eyes. Taking no care for formalities, the tiny girl threw her arms around his leg, laughing euphorically as she continued to look adoringly into his surprised citrine gaze.

"Rin knew you'd bring her back to us, Sesshomaru-sama! Rin knew!" Kagome couldn't help chuckling at Rin's confident declaration. Sesshomaru's only response was to gently rest his hand on top of the girl's raven locks, his typically impassive gaze soft with unspoken affection.

"Keh!" InuYasha scoffed at the girl's claim but his face lacked any real censure, and Sesshomaru felt something akin to familial affection at the stubborn hanyou's next statement.

"It's not like bastard did anything but stare down a hole in the ground for a week!"

The kitsune relinquished his spot in favor of jumping onto Miroku's shoulder as he retorted snidely, "And what did _you_ do, Inu-Baka? I remember seeing you sulking like a kicked puppy under a tree!"

The temperamental hanyou flushed with embarrassment, and he floundered momentarily before yelling at the smirking kit.

"Who're you calling a kicked puppy, ya snot-nosed runt? You're the one blubbering all over Kagome like a spoiled brat!"

"Hey I'm just a kid, what's your excuse!"

Sun-steeped eyes watched the argument unfold with restrained amusement, only turning from the pair's bantering when Rin executed a polite if clumsy bow before running back to the small group. Sesshomaru allowed himself a measure of contentment as he watched the bizarre reunion unfolding, absently noting the scent of herbs and ginger root, heralding the approach of the elder miko known as Kaede.

As the old woman appeared behind the group, InuYasha crossed his arms with a huff, his tone mullish as he said, " I'm just saying that prick didn't do anything special to bring Kagome and Kikyo back to life!"

A sharp gasp followed the young inu's brash statement, and a heavy silence fell as the group turned to see Kaede's shocked face. Kikyo stared at her sister, frozen in place next to InuYasha as a plethora of emotions flitted across her wide eyes.

"Be this true?" Kaede's voice hardly wavered, and Sesshomaru couldn't help but feel respect for the older miko. She shuffled forward, reaching a weather-wrinkled hand to grasp Kikyo's and wonderment filled the woman's age-lined face as she felt the warmth that had been absent from the clay doll that had been her sister.

"I'm sorry I left you alone, Kaede." Copper eyes overflowed with tears, and Kaede responded in kind, salty pearls glistening as they flowed without reservation. A look passed between them then, and nothing more was said when they wrapped their arms around each other. Sesshomaru's senses were buffeted by the sister's bittersweet auras, and he chanced a look at Kagome to gauge her reaction to this family moment.

To his surprise, Kagome's dazzling mahogany eyes were trained on him, a small, indecipherable smile gentling her expression. Moving carefully, Kagome extracted herself from the group to come and stand by him, her eyes returning to the tender scene when a resounding slap broke through the tension of the emotional moment.

"**HENTAI**!"

Sesshomaru refrained from wincing at the taijiya's shrill cry, and briefly contemplated way in which to rid the monk of his "affliction" that would not involve actually removing part of the perverted man's anatomy. His sensitive hearing did not appreciate the vocal assault Miroku's action always resulted in, and as he planned to stay with the group from here on in, the taiyoukai was determined to keep such from happening.

"So it looks like I lost our wager." Kagome's teasing voice instantly derailed his thoughts, and the fair-haired inu re-focused his attention on her. She was still watching her group, which had devolved into more arguing. Glancing from the corner of her eye, Kagome continued, "But it looks like you took my punishment for me, if Jaken's death-hold on you was anything to go by. Soooo..."

She turned then, and Sesshomaru was amused by the playful grin branded across her features as she finished, "...I guess that means we _both_ won in some way, right?"

"Indeed."

The taiyoukai continued to stare at the raven-tressed woman beside him long after she had returned to watching her friends antics. The radiance from her happy aura spilled around him, and he decided then and there to do what he could to keep her this way. Despite his easy agreement with Kagome's innocent question, the inu couldn't help but feel that when it came to the fiery miko at his side, he hadn't actually _won_ so much as gotten very, _very_ lucky.


	26. Reasoning

"It started with a boy..." Kagome's voice held steady, despite the trepidation straight-lacing her heart. While she felt a bit underhanded withholding Onigumo's identity from the group, both her and Kikyo had decided it was for the best.

They both knew it was going to be difficult trying to explain to their friends why Naraku was as much a victim as they were. Friends that had each suffered needlessly as a result of the bandit-turned-evil-hanyou's countless machinations.

But despite all of his crimes against them and theirs, Kagome knew it was the right thing to do. And because the two miko had decided that Naraku needed to be saved, not killed, no matter how hard it was, they were going to tell his story.

And they did. Between her and Kikyo, Onigumo's tragic story was told in short sentences and choked voices. One picked up when the other couldn't finish, and through it all Kagome watched the reactions of the group closely.

While Kaede and Miroku's faces only hinted at curious interest and Sesshomaru's expression betrayed nothing of his thoughts as he listened intently listened intently, Sango's eyes glistened at the atrocities being described. Knowing of how close the taijiya had been with her own family, the miko was expecting the biggest fight to eventually come from her currently sympathetic sister.

It was InuYasha's reaction that surprised her the most though, and Kagome realized that the brash hanyou might actually understand Naraku better than any of the others. She took in the hard edged to his eyes, watching the claws digging into his hands in what she recognized as restrained anger.

'_They both suffered so much to survive at a young age. InuYasha at least had his mother's love for a short time, but Naraku... he never had __**anyone**__._'

Exchanging a glance with Kikyo when the older woman placed a supportive hand on her lover's shoulder, the young woman was relating the boy's encounter with the slayer when she was interrupted by a harsh and angry voice.

"The boy is Onigumo, isn't he?"

Tongue suddenly thick in her mouth, Kagome met Miroku's smoky glare unflinchingly. Despite the fact that no one had been moving prior to his statement, the hut went violently still, tension making the air stale as everyone awaited her response. Fingers tingling with sudden cold, she nodded, her voice cowering in the bottom of her throat.

Silence.

In her peripheral the miko could see the conflict straining Sango's face. Russet eyes still bleeding tears of sympathy, the taijiya's brow had darkened with shadows of anger and confusion. InuYasha remained silent, surprisingly enough, eyes shocked wide, passing between Kikyo's pleading orbs and her own, which were still locked with Miroku's unrelenting stare.

"_**No.**_"

When the houshi's dangerous declaration ruptured the strenuous calm that had settled over the room, Kagome felt her resolve fortify.

"You need to know _everything_, Miroku," she insisted, knowing one wrong word could close off her friend's heart for good. "All that Naraku has done up until now has been part of his quest for vengeance against everyone that hurt him as a child. All of it-"

"I won't forgive him, Kagome-sama." His denial cut through her explanation, his fists trembling as they gripped his robes. "What happened to him doesn't excuse-"

"I never said it did!" Kagome interrupted quickly, her hands held out in supplication. The gentle houshi had been the last person she expected such adamant resistance from, but that didn't lessen her determination. "What was done to him _was_ wrong, but it doesn't justify the pain he has caused countless innocents, including everyone in this room."

Brown eyes swept the room, feeling the hurt and confusion on each face lash against her soul. Only two people were looking at her with something other than silent betrayal, and she drew strength from Kikyo's encouraging smile and Sesshomaru's query-quirked brow. Taking a deep breath, the young woman forged on.

"It doesn't excuse it, but it _does_ explain why he did it- and why we _must_ find it in ourselves to forgive and save him." She rushed ahead when Miroku's shoulders stiffened even further, rage darkening his aura.

"Think about it! _Everything_ that he has done to others first happened to _him_! His mother, a miko, made him kill a dog that he loved, so when he met a miko who had fallen in love with a dog demon, he tried to make them kill each other! A taijiya told him he was lucky to have a family that beat and punished him, so when he found a family of taijiya he had them punish and kill each other! A houshi that was having an affair with-"

"**NONE OF THAT MATTERS!**" Miroku shot to his feet, breath rasping raggedly as he moved to leave the hut. Kagome scrambled to catch his arm, her own temper flaring in defense at the raw malice in his tone.

"Yes it _does_! How can we blame him-"

"**HOW CAN WE NOT?!**" Miroku whipped back around, his nose inches from hers as he shouted her down. "He may have a valid reason for retribution, but he takes it _too far_! How can you expect any of us to forgive him the pain he's brought to our lives?" He paused, and his eyes darted across her face, lips twisting into a sneer wholly unsuited to such a kind man. "Is _his_ vengeance more important than _ours_?"

Kagome tilted her chin, holding his acidic glare unflinchingly. "Is our pain more important than _his_?"

Miroku flinched back from her rebuttal, sucking in a short, tight breath rife with pain and anger. For countless moments, they stared at one another, neither one willing to be the first to back down. Jaw set and eyes hard, he finally nodded sharply before deliberately stepping away, tugging his arm out of her hold.

He would listen, Kagome realized. He wasn't happy about it—his lips were thin and his shoulders so stiff that not even his breath moved them—but he at least he hadn't left.

She sighed, her whole body trembling with the tumultuous emotions she was forcing deep into her belly. Glancing around the room once more, she was by turns pleased and wearied to note that everyone else met her gaze openly. The reservation was still there, but something told her that they would at least _listen_.

"I know what I'm asking isn't fair. But—" Her voice caught, and she couldn't stop the bittersweet pearls trailing down her cheeks. "**Everyone** deserves to be saved."

Knowing she'd reached her limit, Kagome walked to the door in the ensuing hush, wringing her shaking fingers. "Kikyo can tell you the rest of it," she murmured, not caring that she sounded just as tired as she felt. "Please...listen to what we saw before you make your decision. I know you've all suffered, are still suffering... but when does that suffering _end_?"

With that, she ducked out of the hut for the relative peace of the star-stained night.

~o~

An hour passed by, then two, and Kagome felt both relieved that she'd been granted some time to gather her composure once more and terribly isolated when it seemed no one came to see if _she_ was alright. Fights between her and InuYasha were common enough, but she had never argued with Miroku or the others, and she felt hollowed out, raw, knowing that she'd brought this solitude on herself. Her heart ached.

"Being alone does not seem to suit you." Kagome didn't turn at the sound of Sesshomaru's velvety baritone, though she was grateful to be pulled from her melancholy thoughts.

"It doesn't," she agreed, a smile twisting her lips involuntarily before it was stolen away on a resolute sigh. "But I won't turn from what I know is right just because I'm the only one who believes it."

Her right side greedily absorbed the heat offered by the daiyoukai's proximity as he settled beside her. He draped one arm casually across his crooked knee, ember-flecked eyes never wavering from her face as she continued to gaze towards the heavens.

The silence of night drifted between them, more comfortable than the one that had forced her outside to begin with. The longer they sat there, eyes locked on where each hoped to find answers, an air of expectancy slipped into the stillness between them. The young woman waited patiently, knowing that the inu would speak when he was ready, and she was not disappointed.

"You cried for him."

She knew he was referring to Naraku, and while the statement wasn't accusatory, Kagome detected the underlying question. Flopping back, arms splayed haphazardly around her head, she considered the sky above for a moment before speaking.

"Not _just_ for him." She glanced at the youkai beside her, searching the moon-warmed planes of his face for any hint of the accusation that had been absent in his voice. Finding none, she explained, "I cried for the wounds that won't let my friends- my _family_- forgive the wrongs that have been done them."

She sighed, expelling her worries in a breathy gust. "I cry because they wouldn't know how to forgive _themselves_ for **not** hating him."

"It is natural to hate an enemy, to want to rid the world of their evil," the inu reasoned, his heavy gaze finally moving from her to the shadows of the woods in the distance.

A hollow chuckle slipped from her at his assertion. She turned her eyes back to the sky twinkling above her, her response a murmur almost too low even for Sesshomaru.

"Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?"

Sesshomaru's head jerked back to her, and another quick glance revealed the surprise widening his eyes minutely. Kagome couldn't help the thrill of satisfaction that warmed her when she realized that very little took the stoic daiyoukai off-guard. Resisting the sudden urge to grin n triumph, she turned her focus back to their current discussion.

Tilting her head further back against the ground, her dark eyes strained to catch the movement of stars between the upside-down blades of grass around her. The heavy stare was back, and she knew he was waiting for her to continue.

Relenting, she softly explained, "I heard that quote once in class, and couldn't help but love how honest it was. I mean, it's the perfect way to describe my relationships in this era. _Everyone_ in that hut was once my enemy; every one of them tried to hurt or kill me, at one point or another.

"Even _you_, Sesshomaru."

She didn't look at him, couldn't tell what he thought of her statement, but was reassured when he continued to sit beside her, his tightly-controlled aura both abrasive and soothing. Neck beginning to cramp from the awkward position, Kagome allowed herself to lay flat again, propping her arms beneath her head as she looked to the glittering heaven's once more.

"You tried to melt me," she reminded him, her voice free of any censure. "I easily could have held that against you, not to mention all those other times you tried to kill me or my friends."

"But I chose to try and be your friend, to make you _my_ friend," she smiled apologetically at him. "Not that anyone could _make_ you do something you didn't want to do."

Allowing the smile to linger, her gaze sought the skies once more. "I had to forgive you to do that, to _trust_ you. In doing so, I defeated you as my enemy more completely than if I had been able to purify you from existence."

"Some enemies are beyond redemption," the inu countered, his voice a study of neutrality, and she couldn't help the unladylike snort that escaped her.

"If you believe that then you're giving your enemies a power they should _never_ have, Sesshomaru." Incensed, she couldn't help the irritation from creeping into her tone. She closed her eyes, scrunching her fingers against her scalp in an attempt to soothe her agitation.

"You give your enemy the power to condemn victims to live forever with the painful memories of the wrongs done to them; the power to keep evil alive in the hearts of those who have suffered most.

"But by forgiving them... you take that power away."

Kagome opened her eyes, catching Sesshomaru's molten stare with her own fervent one. "You allow yourself to let go of the pain and find happiness. That's what I want for the people I care about."

Again silence stretched between them, but this time she did not turn away. Instead the miko held her companion's gaze, trying to decipher the complex emotions swirling in the glowing depths of his eyes. After what seemed like an eternity in stillness, the daiyoukai rose smoothly, never breaking their staring contest as he spoke softly, almost to himself.

"You speak with a... _unique_ wisdom."

"What, for a mere human?" Kagome half-joked, hesitant to accept the compliment at face value. Especially not after she'd basically scolded him.

"For someone so _young_."

The gentle quip had her blushing fiercely, and it took her a moment to realize he was moving to leave. Not wanting to be alone anymore, she jumped up to follow him, jogging lightly until she'd caught up with his quick strides. Keeping her eyes on her footing, she ventured playfully, "I'm not _that_ young, you know. I'm considered an adult even in my time. And here, I'm considered an old maid!"

"Compared to this Sesshomaru you are but a child."

Kagome simply rolled her eyes, refusing to be baited so easily. Carefully maneuvering around a hole in the ground, she asked with a touch of petulance, "So what? Did you come out here to see if this _child_ was throwing a temper tantrum?"

"No."

Amusement was thick in his voice, and she smiled at the warmth in it. She chanced a glance up at him just as a rock decided to destroy any illusions she had at grace. Pitching forward abruptly, a hard arm banding around her waist kept the young woman from becoming intimately acquainted with the sun-cooling ground. Before she could thank him, the tall daiyoukai spoke softly, making no move to release her as she expected.

"I came," he murmured, "because a friend once told me that _everyone_ deserves to have someone covering their backs."

Kagome's head whipped around, heart thudding painfully in her chest as his words soaked through her, burning away any lingering chill from the damp evening air.

'_Woah!_'

His face was closer than she had anticipated, and the now flustered woman blushed when her nose nearly brushed against his. Blinking, she took the opportunity granted by his proximity to study his face for any traces of mockery. Finding only a bone deep sincerity, she gathered her courage and smiled mischievously.

"Well, it was entirely unnecessary," Kagome said haughtily, parroting his words from that incident back at him. Her chin tilted with challenge, mirth dancing in her eyes as she waited for his reaction, but nothing could have prepared her for it when it came.

Eyes still engaged with his, she was startled when his other hand cupped her face gently. Claws whispering across her temple, she felt him tuck her hair behind the curve of her ear while his thumb brushed lightly over her flushed cheek. The deadly appendages then traced along the underside of her jaw to her chin, which he tilted up with a press of his knuckle.

Kagome didn't move when he lowered his hand slowly, her breath caught in her throat as the perusal he was giving her made the young woman hyper aware of every single place they were pressed together. Biting her bottom lip, she was about to ask him what he was doing when he finally spoke.

"This Sesshomaru decided to accept the challenge, whether you deemed it _necessary_ or not."

And then his reassuring arm vanished from around her waist, although he didn't move away from her in any other way until he seemed certain she wasn't going to be conquered by gravity yet again. Taking her by the hand, he tugged at her stunned form, murmuring something about her catching ill if she stayed out in the chill air much longer. For her part, Kagome was having trouble processing what had just happened, including why her hand was tingling within his calloused grip.

"Sesshomaru...?" His name dripped from her lips as she considered his profile. A quick glance of gold and his eyes turned back to the village, neither acknowledging nor dismissing her absent-minded whisper as he led them back to Kaede's hut. She kept replaying the moment in her mind, trusting him to keep her steady as she tried to understand the riotous emotions playing havoc on her mind and body. Shaking her head to clear it, the miko gave her enigmatic companion a long, questioning look.

'_...what are you doing to me?_'

* * *

Reasoning: ...in which logic and emotions are aligned.

First, there are two quotes in this chapter, one which is a direct quote from Abraham Lincoln (Am I not destroying my enemy...) and then the other, which is a bit more of an interpretation of the quote... basically I butchered the REAL quote, but here it is for those of you who are curious:

"If we say that monsters [people who do terrible evil] are beyond forgiving, we give them a power they should never have...they are given the power to keep their evil alive in the hearts of those who suffered most. We give them power to condemn their victims to live forever with the hurting memory of their painful pasts. We give the monsters the last word."

Lewis B. Smedes - Forgive & Forget: Healing the Hurts We Don't Deserve

If you can't tell, I LOVE that quote XD and it fit perfectly with the story and Kagome's line of reasoning, so...

Hope everyone enjoyed! And look! More fluffy moments... bet you can't wait to hear Sesshomaru's POV on that little incident there X3

Half of this chapter was beta'd by Aubrey Simone on Dokuga, and I extend my sincerest appreciation to her for all of her help!

Enjoy!


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